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AN 



ECCLESIASTICAL MEMOIR 



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BOSTON. 

IN A SERIES OF LETTERS ADDRESSED TO SOME GENTLEMEN OS 

THIS CITY. 



The triidom that is from aliore is firrt Pure then S»tfa«a6fc."— ST. JAMES. 



•Being defamed we entreat."— ST.^AUI^ 



BOSTOJ^: 

PRINTED BY EZRA LINCOLN. 

PUBLISHED BY A COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIETY < 

1833. 



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IT 

* 



CONTENTS. 



LETTER I. 

Preliminary—Origin of the Society—^Iaterials for gathering a church— Shyness apparent in some, as 
warm support Irom others— Organization of the church and installati m of the pastor— A House of 
Worship contemplated— Limited means of the Society— The deacon resolves npun the measure — Cor- 
ner Stone— Dedication— Cost of house and rate of pews— Complaint of measures— Application to 
Legislature for an act of incorporation— Act obtained but not accepted by the deacon— Projected 
settlement of the House— Progress of the society— Hint to Mr. Green. Page t 

LETTER II. 

The deacon becomes uneasy— He goes out and complains— Rev. Mr. Codman interposes— Lends his 
agency to the deacon- He is reminded of his troubles at Dorchester- New York Letter plot— The 
deacon embarks Park Street in his cause— Park Street reminded of her troubles, and her compassion 
invoked. 17 

LETTER IIL 

Measures adopted by the deacon for the removal of the minister— Letters between the minister and 
deacon— Church meetings contemplated and attempted— The deacon avoids a regular meeiing— A 
church meeting on the 8ih January. Rev. Wiiliam Jenks presides, the deacon and his pavy will not 
attend— The business of the meeting interrupredby an artifice of the deacon assisted by some ' mem- 
bers of sister churches'"— Reflections on Mr. Morton's conduct as a party in this artifice, and another 
hint to Mr. G. 22 

LETTER IV. 

No regfular meeting can be obtained— Mr. S, resolves upon going into the Hall unless the deacon gives 
up management — Meeting ob ained on the 3lsi January— Rev. Mr, Jenks again presides, present Rev. 
Messrs. Dwighi and VVisner, brethren Salisbury and Cutler— Doings of the v'eeting— Council is mu- 
tually resolved upon— Rev. gentlemen exhort to quietness and preparedness for Council— Continued 
turbulence of the Deacon and officiousness of his son— Hint to Mr. Green— Mr. S. applies for copy of 
charges and is tefused. 35 

LETTER V. 

Council sits, on the 19th of February, 1822— Organized, and Professor Woods Moderator— Obtrusion of 
the deacon's son— Mr. S's apology— The deacon by his son, states the case — Several members of the 
church address, on the deacon's side— Several members address, on the side of the church— St-lections 
from Mr. S's. speech— The deacons' Letters advising Mr. S. to come so Boston— Your.g Parker, pro- 
ceeding to remark, is confounded by the sexton, and silenced— Council adjourn to Marlborough Hotel 
—Return next evening with RESULT— Council rise. 45 

LETTER VL 

tteviewof calling council— The deacon's temptation— Objections to the council sitting in public— Re- 
view of proceedings under four articles— Reflections on rise of council. 69 

LETTER Vn. 

The Result ex-parte— The church propose to withdraw from the meeting-housc- Advice on that head 
from reverend gentlemeu of BostoU'-'Churcb meeting called- The dcacoii and hii friends attend, but 



vi Contents, 

refuse to proceed to business— They withdraw— Votes of the church— Boston Recorder and Andorer, 
take up the meeting-house party— Real standing of the church, declared by reverfnd gentlemen, and 
by the Result— Council's apology for approbating the deacon proved futile— Result proved to be ex- 
par te, from its own testimony— Contrast. Page 73 

LETTER VIII. 

Measures for dismissing dissatisfied members— Dismissed without testimonials— Mr. S. requested to 
withdraw from Monthly Concert of prayer at Park Street— The church address the concert— Essex 
Street chHrch accounts— New church organized— Organization proved to be irregular, immoral, and 
tinjust— Union church proved to be spurious, from its own history. 99 

LETTER IX. 

State of the church in Boylston Hall— Settlement of Union Society— Trust Deed of no legal value— Do. 
ings at Mr. Green's installation— Remarks thereon— Arbitrary ecclesiastical proceedings censured— 
Why not connected with Union Churches— Sister brethren sought out— High ground taken by sister 
churches— Question in Convention ; probable cause of its defeat and shameful fall— Hint to Mr. Green 
and bis friends at Essex Street Meeting-house.—FOSTSCRIPT, 1 it 



AN 



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Religious Society, has been repeatedly demanded, especially 
during the past year, by various classes of the Christian community in 
this city and region. This demand has been repeatedly declined and 
evaded by the said society, under a mixture of feelings: but no feel- 
ing has been more powerful, than a desire of peace, and a hope that 
their opposers would awake from their delusion, and return to the 
ways of truth. This hope has not been realized, so far from this, the 
righteousness and truth of our cause, have been obscured and preju- 
diced, by a variety of artificial and contraband practices, on the part 
of our adversaries and their abettors. — The gathering and establish- 
ment of a Christian church, in any part of the world, we cannot but 
consider in a serious point of light : nor C4n we think it our duty to 
suffer such a Christian community, though we ourselves be that com- 
munity, to be run do\vn by oppression and pushed into oblivion, if it 
be in our power to prevent it, particularly as we live in a free Chris- 
tian country, and have at our command, a FREE PRESS. The im- 
portance and necessity, of this development of facts, will appear to the 
public, under various circumstances. Upon the removal of Essex Street 
Church and congregation from their meeting-house in Essex Street, 
to Boylston Hall, It soon became a question upon the public mind; 
whether that people had become extinct, and so a conviction follow- 
ed, that the people retaining the meeting-house became actually Es- 
sex Street Church and society. Nor was it likely, that any consider- 
able proportion of the Christian public should, so far interest them- 
selves in this case, as to go into Boylston Hall, or into Essex Street, 
to see how the matter really stood. Hence, a fruitful source ol' mis- 
information, and misrepresentation, the evil consequences of which 
must fall upon us. So, it becomes an imperious duty, on our part, to 
show to the Christian community at large, that Essex Street Church 
and congregation, entire and unbroken, with their pastor, now wor- 
ship in Boylston Hall : and that, the people, now occupying the 
meeting-house in Essex Street, are not the original church, Essex 
Street Church, no part, nor minority of that church, but an assem- 
blage of individuals discarded by, or dismissed from, the several 
churches, to which they formerly belonged, calling themselves not 
Essex Street Churchy but Union Church. The particulars, of which 
revolution, are given in tlw following pages. 

Essex Street people driven to B;)yU(on Hall, finding themselves 
jostled out of their meeting-house, began to think of attempting to 
build another house for their use As soon as this idea came abroad, it 
was greedily taken up by some of the friends of Union Church^am} we 
were flattered info a belief, that if we would quietly relinquish all our 
asserted rights in the Essex Street house to Union Church, we should 
be assisted by that party, in building for ourselves a new house. Some 
of our friends were taken with this allurement, and actually made ap- 
plication to several ol* these promising gentlemen, but they, with 
scarcely an exception exeus^^d themselves by saying, that they were 
in debt at P — S — and that they could not think it a duly to subscribe 
towards a new meeting-house for other people, w hen they had not, as 



viii Jlpology, 

yet, been able to pay for their own. And also, that tlieir hands were 

tied up in that they had subscribed dollars a year for tive years, 

towards the support of the new and feeble cause in Union Church. 
But these gentSesnen must have forgotten, that they were congregation- 
ally insolvent at P — S — when they subscribed to U — C — . We soon 
found, that to build a new house, with such patronage, was an idle 
dream ; and as the public was so ill informed on our real case, if did 
not appear to us likely, that people, at large, would take sufficient 
interest in our cause to help us in our difficult enterprise. Nor was 
this all. When subscriptions were solicited among the religious 
public, generally, the answer was. That considering the reports 
vi^hieh were in circulation, respecting Mr. S. and his society, it be- 
came a question, whether it would be a service done the Christian 
comrauinty, to subscribe to this undertaking, and therefore they must 
beg Jo decline, or at least, suspend, giving their patronage, till far- 
thcM light were thrown on the subject. In this dilemma, some of our 
fellow citizens addressed a note to our minister, of which the follow- 
ing is a copy. 

< Boston^ August 22, 1823. 

* Rev. and Dear Sir, 

' We the undersigned, not of your society, some of us subscribers 
^ to the Buiidins; which is proposed as a House of Worship, in which 
' you are to officiate as Minister of the Gospel ; having heard many 
' unfavourable reports respecting yourself and the people of your 
^ charge, relative to your connexion with, and separation from, the 
' Union Church, are desirous, as well for our own individual satisfac- 

* tion, as for the good of the Christian community, that a fair, cor- 

* rect and candid statement should be published to the world ; do 
' Ijereby request you to prepare a paper containing a statement of all 

< the facts relative to your connexion with, and separation from, the 

< present church and society in Essex Street; also the reasons, so far 

< as you know them, why you are denied the privileges of meeting 
'and'takinga part with the Union churches, so called, in Boston, 

* when assembled for the purpose of social worship in their prayer 

* meetings, Your's,' &c. 

Upon the receipt of this letter Mr. S. called the church together, 
and laid it before them. To us it appeared at once, that the time 
was come for the appearance of our Memorial, and that this call 
should not be resisted. Mr, S. however stated to us> that such was 
the delicacy of the matter when a man became his own memorialist, 
that he wished the society to appoint a committee to draw up, and 
edit the Memoir. Accordingly a committee of three was chosen, and 
was invested with suitable powers to accomplish this undertaking. 
But when the committee came to look over the materials which were 
to furnish the narrative, they found, that so much depended on the in- 
timate knowledge which Mr. 8. had of the whole case, that, as a 
committee, independently of him, they could do but little towards ac- 
complishing the work assigned them by the society. They concluded, 
therefore, to refer the matter back to Mr. S. as one, upon the whole, 
most competent to the task. Under these circumstances, Mr. S. ac- 
cepts the reference, and takes upon himself, all {\\*^ responsibility, 
with this understanding, that he be permitted to write in the third 
person, and in the name of the whole church. 



AN 

LETTER I. 

Preliminary— Origin of the Society— Materials for gathering a church— Shyness apparent in some, as 
warm support from others— Organization of the chnrcli and installation of the pastor— A House of 
Worship contemplated- Limited means of the Society— The deacon resolves upon the measure— Cor- 
ner Stone— Dedication— Cost of house and rate of pews— Complaint of measures— Application to 
Legislature for an act of incorporation— Act obtained but not accepted by the deacon— Projected 
settlement of the House— Progress of the society— Hint to Mr. Green. 

Gentlemen, 

The character of religion, and the reputation in which it should be 
held, ought to be a subject of high interest in every part of Christen- 
dom : but in Boston, related as it is to the whole State of Massachu- 
setts, indeed, to the whole of New England, religion has the highest 
claims. Your letter discovers that interest which we cannot but res- 
pect, and to which we must yield the testimony it demands. It is a 
matter which cannot be concealed, that the History of Essex Street 
Church and Society has, more than a little, involved the character of 
orthodox churches in this city and vicinity, during the last three or 
four years. A society of professing Christians of the standing order 
are gathered in Boston — in this organization and institution the 
churches concur — a meeting-house is built for them — they are re= 
cognized in their right to worship in the said house — they do accord- 
ingly worship there for two years — all at once they are obliged to 
leave their meeting-house, and go out into the streets and lanes of the 
city — and their meeting-house is taken possession of by other church- 
es, these churches and clergy of the neighbourhood, set the ejected 
church at defiance, and treat it with a disrespect due to heresy and 
schism, with a disrespect due to a people totally fallen from their 
moral standing in the church and in society. This is a new ease in 
this city, and would lead every inquiring and observant mind to con- 
elude, that there must be a vast pile of guilt and wrong-doing some- 
where in this matter. — Yes, sirs, there is a great load of guilt accu- 
mulated in this unhappy business, and it is time that it were search- 
ed out. rt is generally expected, where two parties have been at 
strife, that blame will be found to attach to both, perhaps it may be so 
in this case, but if the mass of guilt, between these two parties, is to be 
equally divided between them, then, there is enough of guilt to weigh 
Ihem both down to disgrace and infamy. But of this you will judge 
by the following detail. 
2 



10 Origin and Organization of the Society. 

Essex Street Church and Society, originated in a train of 
providences somewhat peculiar. Mr. Sabine, in the year 1816, was 
introduced to Mr. Nathan Parker, a merchant of Newfoundland, then 
in England seeking a minister for the congregational church in St. 
John's, the capital of that island. Mr. P. availed himself of every 
opportunity and means to become acquainted with the character, tal- 
ents, ministerial standing and family of Mr. S. On these articles 
he professed to have had great satisfaction ; he accordingly engaged 
Mr. S. as minister of St. John's for three years, for which term he 
and Mr. James Meliedge became security for the salary : after which 
period Mr. 8. was to be left to any future engagement he might en- 
ter into with the church. Mr. P. made the best arrangements in his 
power for his minister's voyage, paid his passage, and warmly re- 
commended him to the people of his new charge, among whom he ar- 
rived in the month of June, 1816. Mr. P. followed in the course of the 
summer, and continued at St. John's through the following winter j 
hut having wound up his mercantile concerns, after forty years la- 
bour, and choosing to finish his days in his native land, he came, in 
the spring, to the United States and settled in Boston; as also did 
his friend Mr. MeJledge shortly after. In November of the year fol- 
lowing, those dreadful fires occurred, by which St. John's was almost 
con>*uraed. This calamity rendered Mr. S's. continuance in St. John's 
precarious ; he consulted his friends, Parker and Meliedge, on the pro- 
priety and necessity of leaving Newfoundland, and of coming to Bos- 
ton. On this head Mr. S. had the joint opinion of his two friends, 
Messrs. P. and M. that the mean?? of his support at St. John's were 
at an end, and that it was a duty he owed his family to seek a future 
asylum in these States. Mr. S. accordingly obtained release and re- 
commendation from his church in NewfouniUand, and came to Bostoa 
in July, 1818. Upon his arrival in this city, it was immediately re- 
commended, that he should statedly preach in some eligible place^ 
with a view to raise a new congregation. Boylston Hall was point- 
ed out as that place, and engaged by Mr. S. for that purpose, at his 
own risk, lor ten dollars per week. In the month of January follow- 
ing, there appeared to be the materials for gathering a church : this 
was exhibited to some persons of influence in the religious communi- 
ty, some of whom discovered great shyness, while some others mani- 
fested as great affection, and tendered their warm support. Letters 
missive were dispatched to neighbouring churches, and the 27th of 
January, was fixed as the day for publicly organizing the society, and 
installing the minister. On this day the council assembled, of which 
Rev. Dr. Morse was Moderator, and Rev. Mr. Codman, Scribe. Mr. 
8abine'« testimoBials and credentials were most cordially approv- 



Corner Stone. il 

ed of, and tbe measures of the church elect confirmed. The services 
of the day concluded in the public and solemn recognition of a new 
congregational church in Boston, and the settlement of that pastor 
over it, by whose instrumentality it had been gathered. The church 
consisted of seventeen members, ten of whom were brethren. 

As the church and congregation increased, it became a question 
whether it would not be projier to attempt the building of a House 
of Worship. The means possessed by the society, as a body, ere 
small : it was not likely that the rich and influential should be drawn 
away from their settlements, and associated under the ministry «»'' a 
stranger in Boylston Hall : the congregation was of such a charac- 
ter as might be expected to be collected, under such circumstances. 
But Mr. (now denominated Deacon) P. was reputed for wealth, to 
him the society looked, a building committee was raised, and the dea- 
con was indefatigable in searching for a suitable lot of land. Many 
difficulties were felt, and others anticipated, the poor of the society, 
among whom was the pastor, urged prudence and deliberation : it 
required no sagacity, to foresee the great liability to evil in the pre- 
ponderating influence of one monied man : money will too often, even 
in the church, give a man more consequence and influence than wis- 
dom and piety. Still, the society could not but rejoice in the pros- 
pect of a House to be raised for their use. The deacon bought the 
land, and proceeded to make arrangements for the building: but he 
manifested, in almost every thing, so much determination to have 
his own way, that many of our friends anticipated the turmoil into 
which we afterwards fell. The case seemed to be desperate, we 
were obliged to submit to the deacon or have no house : it was 
hoped that the deacon's failing was not venal, it was supposed to be 
the failing of many good men, and therefore the society humbled 
itself to his will, and hoped for the best. On the 26th June, 1819, 
the corner stone was laid, with a flattering testimonial from Mr. Cod- 
man, who also declared in the name of the church and society 

That the House to be erected was for the use of the congregational 
church upon the JSTew England Platform, gathered in Boylston Hall 
on the 27th January last, of which Rev. James Sabine was installed 
pastor. As the building was rising, the deacon took some pains to 
make the case popular, he told all whom he thought it might concern, 
that he well knew the man who was to minister in it — that he was a 
faithful and laborious preacher, and that there would be nothing want- 
ing on the part of Mr. S. to render the enterprise successful, of this 
he was satisfied, or he should not have embarked so large a capital in 
the concern! — These things he often repeated with minute circum- 
stance, and was always forward to bear testimony to the character 
and labours of his pastor. 



i2 Hint to Rev. S. Green, 

While the church was gathering, and the congregation maturing 
in Boylston Hall, our minister had no settled salary : the Hall was 
taken at his own risk, and expected lo be paid for out of what might 
be the income of the place. For the first six months the Hall pro- 
duced no income, except by some casual contributions ; but after the 
establishment of the church, the sittings were taxed and the rate con- 
tinued upon them, till the meeting-house was finished. Upon audit- 
ing the Hall accounts, it was found that the whole income for sixteen 
months amounted to about one thousand dollars ; the expenses dur- 
ing that time amounted to about eight hundred, leaving a surplus for 
minister of two hundred. This was a labour of great trial and sa- 
crifice to Mr. S. of which he thought it was his duty to remind the 
committee, while the house was in progress. AVhen they offered him 
a salary of a thousand dollars per annum, upon the dedication of the 
then rising building, he begged them to consider, how large a sub- 
scription or donation he was actually placing in that house, without 
any hope of a pecuniary return. Mr. S. raised a very considerable 
body of people wherewith to occupy the meeting-house upon its open- 
ing, and these were gathered at his expense | on this item, that house 
remains his debtor to this day. If the Rev. Samuel Green could have 
read this memoir, while he was at home at Reading, it is not suppos- 
able that he could have removed to Essex Street. Ahab, with all 
his perseverance and management, found it difficult to make herbs 
grow in Naboth's vineyard. Brother G. may think of this perhaps, 
some time hence, if he have not th(rtjght of it yet. 

On the 10th December the New House, elegibly situated in Essex 
Street, was dedicated ; the sermon on that occasion was delivered by 
our minister : the sermon we believe was well received by the whole 
society, and by others who visited us that day : but when the society 
voted to print the sermon, the deacon was afraid some sentiments 
expressed in it, might prove offensive to the public, and so hurt 
the reputation of the new establishment. You ask, sirs, what 
those sentiments in the sermon could be, which might prove so 
off*ensive ? In reply we say, they were only the deacon's own 
sentiments, translated from a formulary of his own compiling, and 
in use in the church in which he exercised his former deaconship, 
and indeed, such sentiments as would be very generally approved of in 
every community of serious christians. But he was afraid of what- 
ever might have the least tendency to hinder the sale of pews in the 
new house, in which his property was so much involved, and so much 
at stake ; the sale of pews was the great aim, which we shall see 
more distinctly, as the drama opens. 

Upon the completion of the house, it became immediately necessa- 



Cost of House and Rate of Pews, 13 

ry to announce its cost, and to put an estimate upon the pews. While 
the house was building, the deacon took care to let the public know 
that the houi^ would not be an expensive one, and that as the minis- 
ter was engaged with the small salary of a thousand dollars, the 
pews would be sold or let at a low rate. The public, as well as 
those of the congregation, were prepared for small demands io occu- 
pying seats in the new house, and considering the plan held out, such 
expectation was reasonable. But all this fair looking plan, and this 
reasonable expectation, was defeated. The house cost 33,000 dol- 
lars, but to make a safe scheme of the sale, the deacon reckoned 
the cost at 40,000 dollars, and fixed the price of pews on that 
ratio, 25 per cent above the real value. The deacon was advised, 
by all concerned, against such an experiment, it was represented to 
him as a thing very unsafe, in a meeting-house speculation, especial- 
ly in Boston, and still more especially, as the public had been led 
to expect a low priced pew at Essex Street. But all remonstrance 
was in vain, the deacon was set upon it, and the thing must be pressed, 
and so it was attempted; but the bidders for pews on the day of sale 
were confined chiefly to original subscribers; others, who came to the 
auction, withdrew in disgust at the deacon's avarice and miscalcula- 
tion : nor could he by any means, on these terms, procure purchasers. 
Yet there was no way to open his eyes — the pews should sell at his 
fixed price, or they should remain unsold, and so they did remain un- 
sold : and the evil operated in the same way on such as hired or 
would have hired pews. The society, by these imprudeat and impo- 
litic measures, rose very slowly, many turned away that might other- 
wise have settled down with us, ani others who gave us a trial were 
constrained to leave us at last. And then such arbitrary and obsti- 
nate proceedings on the part of the deacon, disgusted a generous 
public feeling, and our numbers increased with many a drawback. 

At this time the property in the meetinghouse was not legally 
settled, it was difficult to say to whom the house belonged; the dea- 
con had bought the ground in his own name, and given a mortgage 
upon the estate for security : some pews he had given in account for 
work done, some he had sold, and others were sold and mortgaged back 
to him again. Things thus circumstanced, were the occasion of much 
murmuring and complaint; those persons who bad given their money 
for pews had bought them at 25 per cent above their value, and were 
liable to the consequences of the mortgage, and the title also was 
merely capricious, so that they were discontented, and others, who 
had come into possession of pews on terms somewhat different, were 
still liable to the same caprice, and so all parties were loud in com- 
plaint, and all hope of increasing pew pureljasers was quite lost. To 



14 Application to Legislature and Petition rejected, 

remedy this evil, it was natural to expect that the deacon would 
adopt natural means, but the deacon was not that man, he loved his 
money too well, and he loved as well to be in the seat of power, 
though he knew not how to conduct himself in either departm*»nt. 

When the building of the meeting-house Mas first contemplated, 
the deacon declared it as his design, that the church, (the brethren, 
members in full communion,) should have the control of the house, that 
they should elect from time to time the pasfor, and conduct all eccle- 
siastical business independently of the society. He knew very well, 
that the laws of Massachusetts gave the right to manage all these 
affairs to the society, he therefore avoided from the first an act of 
incorporation, and rather chose to invest the church with such rights 
by his own power ; upon this principle of management he endeav- 
oured to embark the pew proprietors : but he found the thing thus 
illegally established, and thus illegally enforced, would not answer; 
he saw that the colour of law was wanting to give the system 
a good face, he saw that he should never sell his pews at so high a 
price, and upon terms so unfavourable to the purchasers ; he would 
therefore, if possible, obtain the sanction of the Legislature: accord- 
ingly he, with the proprietors, went into the General Court with a 
petition, praying for an act of incorporation, by which to empower 
the church, to control the house independently of the proprietors. 
The proprietors were petitioners in this case, they declared to the 
house their willingness to sink their rights into the church, and bind 
themselves, their heirs and assigns, to the same relinquishment of 
rights. But, sirs, the Legislature would not receive this petition, its 
prayer was a new thing : it prayed for the establishment of a sys- 
tem in direct opposition to the constitution of the State. Statute 
Law provides that all who hold property in an incorporated body shall 
control such property, and enjoy all the privileges thereunto belong- 
ing : but this petition prayed t'lat the holders of property should not 
control it, and that this disability should be entailed upon their suc- 
cessors, their heirs, and assigns. We beg you gentlemen, to look at 
this case, it is an interesting case, not one that merely involves the 
experience of Essex Street, but the experience of every congregation- 
al church in the State. It will be necessary to look at this petition 
a little more minutely. This petition does not pray, that the pew 
proprietors shall give away their property to the elmrch, and relin- 
quish all right and title to it : if the said proprietors had been so 
minded to have invested the church, it is presumed no one could 
have objected, nor would it have been necessary for the proprietors 
to have applied to Court for such a privilege. But in opposition to 
this, they pray that they may hold their right in their property, but 



Fictitious Settlement. ±5 

tave no control over the use and application of it, and that the same 
disability shall be entailed upon all, who shall hereafter hold a right 
in the same property. The Legislature as we have said, rejected the 
prayer of this petition, but they voted an act of incorporation as is 
usual in such cases, and such indeed as the constitution of the State 
dictated — but as it gave no power to the church over the property, 
and over the society, the deacon obtained a vote of the society not 
to accept it, and so the said act was never acted upon. This ap- 
plication to General Court not resulting in favour of the deacon's 
plan, he proceeded to the settlement of Essex Street Church and So- 
ciety, in his own way. Prior to the application to General Court, the 
mode of settlement was determined by the deacon, pews had been 
sold and deeds given to purchasers; in these deeds it was declared 
how the house was to be held, and what authority the church was to 
have in said house. — This title deed declared that the church, " Es- 
sex Street Church" gave every pew purchaser a title to his pew — 
the church appointed the deacons to give titles in their (the church's) 
name — the monies received also were to be applied as the church 
should direct — the church bound the pew holder to grant the use of the 
meeting-house to the church at all times, and that it should be law- 
ful for the church so to use it — the church too, should elect from time 
to time the pastor to officiate in said house, without any control from 
the pew holders. This is the plan of settling; which the deacon 
prayed the Legislature to sanction by statute, but upon failing in this 
application, he flattered the church into a belief, that he could and 
would secure all this authority to the church by his own power. He 
promised to give some kind of Deed to the church, as soon as his per- 
sonal property in the house could be secured to him, or sold at his 
price, and till that could be accomplished, the titles given to pew pur- 
chasers would secure that authority to the church, and keep the 
house under the control of the church. But this was all a fabrica- 
tion, either invented by the deacon to deceive the church, or by otfrers 
to deceive both him and them. Had the prayer for an act of incor- 
poration been granted, it is pretty clear how it must have operated 5 
the church would have had the control of him and his property, but 
he never intended this, for he declared to the church that as he was 
ground landlord, and had the hold of the property in the estate, he 
would keep that hold till he should be bought out, and his money re- 
funded. This principle of securing his own property, and hi- con- 
trol over it, he never lost sight of. That Deed which he promised to 
the church, was upon condition of the church or society boying ii at 
full price, which they never did, and therefore never had it. lie look 
care to have the control of his own property, although the pew proprie- 



16 People dissatiajied. 

tors were to have no control over their's. The single deeds grant- 
ed, and to 1)8 granted to pew purchasers, though ^rorded as if the 
church was to have the control, yet he was the first to declare their 
illegality and inefificiency. — When the value of the deed was challeng- 
ed, upon the breaking out of the troubles, Mr. Melledge, the deacon's 
agent and fellow deacon, declared the deed not worth a feather ; and 
indeed it is supposed that was about the value (^f the deed, but where 
was the deacon's sense of integrity, of honour, of religion, in giving 
such a title, and then so scandalously breaking the covenant so sa- 
credly pledged therein. 

This was the state of things upon the settlement after the failure 
in General Court : and it was believed by the church and society 
that the deacon intended to do well, though he had made some mis- 
takes, and had discovered a little of the common failing peculiar to 
rich and influential men. Nobody, however, was satisfied with the 
rate of pews, and as so few were sold, the great burden fell on the 
renters, of which class in the congregation there was a preponderat- 
ing number ; these, it is true, could have no vote in our affairs, but 
as they were called to pay on all pews they hired, tax and interest, 
they were not a little lavish in complaints. Fifty six dollars a year 
was a serious sura to pay for a pew in the broad aisle in Essex Street, 
which was held out as a cheap, plain place of worship, intended 
chiefly, for plain people in moderate circumstances ; at this rate of 
pew hire, many a family came and went, so that there was little per- 
manency in the congregation. Notwithstanding, the income of the 
house, and the gradual increase of the congregation, were much be- 
yond what might have been expected, yet, after all, much less than it 
would have been, had the affairs of the house been conducted upon a 
wise and equitable system. — But such a system as this must find out 
the deacon himself. After paying the expenses of the house and wor- 
ship, there could be little left to pay him the interest of his money | 
for though our minister's salary was small, much too small, for his 
services and family, yet the incidental expenses were made, by the 
deacon's plan of management, much too great. For the first year the 
standing committee, of which the deacon ex-oSleio was chairman, 
pledged themselves to our minister, upon condition of his receiving 
only 1000 dollars, that the incidental expenses should not exceed 200 ; 
and that if more was spent, it should be at the risk of those individu- 
als in the committee, who should order it. The deacon was always 
the executive, his vote was a majority, and his veto silenced and fix- 
ed every one ; and at the end of the year it was found that the dea- 
con had spent and charged to the society above 500 dollars, two 
hundred of which, contrary lo express condition on that very article, 



The Deacon's wavering. i7 

had been spent on tlie choir, and as to expending this at liis own 
?islc,he without any ceremony, and it seems without any cheek of con- 
science, boldly wrote the charges against the society. Now, sirs, in 
the name of chiirehmansliip and sense, how could a society be ex- 
pected to prosper — the ministry of our pastor must have been popu- 
lar indeed, to countervail all this covenant breaking and mismanage- 
ment in our deacon. Again, we say, Mr. Green could not have been 
made acquainted willi (his history, or he would not have been the 
firsts to step into the pulpit of his cast out and injured brother. 



LETTER II. 

The deacon becomes uneasy— He goes out and complains— Rev. Mr. Codman interposes— Lends his 
agency to the deacon— He is reminded of bis troubles at Dorchester— New York Letter plot — The 
deaco!i embarks Park Street in his cause— Park Street reminded of her troubles, and her compassion 
JoTeked. 

From what has been detailed in the foregoing letter, something 
of what is to come may easily be anticipated, these evils however 
took some time to mature and to operate, so as to come out into open 
day : indeed, the day light, these evils always avoided, but evil 
things done in secret will be proclaimed upon the house top. In or- 
der to give our history a compactness of form it will be necessary to 
link together the leading circumstances of our progress and proceed- 
ings, not merely as they connect themselves with our trials, but as 
they form the subject of our memoir. The system of management 
we have noticed didnot, foia while, visibly affect the public ministry: 
the congregation, though cramped and fluctuating, continued to in- 
crease and strengthen, the church too received continually additions; 
to the 29 which came into the meeting-house upon its dedication, 
were added in less than two years as many as made tlie whole com- 
munion amount to 70. But this progress of the church and congre- 
gation was not quite satisfactory to the deacon : a great proportion 
of the communicants were females, and others were, as to this world, 
in humble circumstances, not able to buy pews, so that the deacon 
was the subject of much disappointment. Still, the deacon thought 
it was necessary to keep up the popularity of the minister, he was 
at certain times and in certain places, profuse in the praises of his 
" faithful and laborious pastor ;" the church and congregation too 
he could declare to be in high progress and promising prosperity. 
But at the same time, and we can show it under his own hand, or 
that of his colleague deacon, he was in other circles complaining and 
*iefa.min^ \ns faithful and successful minister. fi\n\ seeking means to 
put him away. All this comes out in the proceedings and result of 
council, by and by to be detailed. 
3 



18 JS\w Fork Letter Plot, 

A system of (iiiplicity cannot be persevered in lon^. A man vvitli 
two faces and two longues, must, after a little shifting and shuClin- be 
compelled to look or to speak with only one of tliein. But a raan 
that is playing a double part for one single end, and needs agents to 
assist him, must seek out such people to help him, as can debase 
themselves also by such vile hypoeritica! practice. The deacon by 
lavishingly praising our minister, gained in the esteem of our minis- 
ter's friends, and these he knew to be the whole congregation, with 
very few exceptions. By securing the friendship of these, on hi» 
part, it was likely to serve him when he should begin to alter his 
tone : but before this alteration was manifest he laid many a wily 
snare and took many a preparatory cautious step. From his own 
account, and from the account of others to whom he applied, it is 
evident that he went out to the ministers and leading men iu the 
neighbouring churches, crying and bewailing the unpopularity of his 
minister, and the fear he had that the society would go down, and he 
Jose his money and his reputation also as a deacon. With these com- 
plaints and cryings, many good people were deceived into a belief, 
that the deacon was deeply interested in the glory of God and the 
good of the church, they ventured to think with him, that the interest 
of Essex Street society was absolutely involved in the removal of the 
minister: others might cast their eye upon a meeting-house, which 
had been built eliiefly by the labour and sacrifice of a stranger so- 
journing amongst us — they might cast a look also upon a sordid praise 
ioving church officer, a man who had the control of this meeting- 
house, and who had the infant society there under his thumb, they might 
think it a fine opportunity to get a new society and a wg^w meeting- 
house enlisted into their party. Ail this worked well for the deacon, 
and promised a fair opening to his plot. All that seemed necessary, 
now was, that there should be something specific against the standing 
or character of our minister : something of this sort was necessary, 
or what colour could there be upon the deacon's change of opinion in 
regard to Mr. S. ? He looked with many an Argus' eye, but found 
nothing. At length, assisted by brother Morton, he was able to come 
into possession of a letter, or of its contents, written by Mr. S. to a 
gentleman in New York. This letter came in his way through the 
medium of a news paper editor in this city, who had made some use 
of it, but from a declared conviction that it would be dishonourable 
to make public a private letter, threw it aside, and into oblivion it had 
again gone, but for the solemn fears of the deacon and his brother 
Morton; Mr. S. had told a lie in asserting that he was a large sub- 
scriber to the meeting-house. Mr. S. had said in this letter to his 
friend that he had been" the largest subscriber" to the meeting- house? 



Slander. IS 

and lie told his friend in what way, " in raising the congregation,*' in 
being subject to <^ great sacriiices — no sahiry — no stated income for 
eighteen months, and a family of eight children to support, obliged to 
work, and to work hard," in various avocations. Mr. S. added that 
he was " still subscribing to the new house" by receiving as «• a sala- 
ry, only half what brethren of the same denomination in Boston receiv- 
ed.'' This same sentiment Mr. S. had doubtless declared in twenty 
other letters to different friends, if they could be overtaken or brought 
to light, and in one letter he did actually so in the same words, ad- 
dressed to theiieaeon himself, as chairman of the standing committee, 
from which we have extracted, page 12. When the deacon read this 
letter to the committee he did not charge Mr. S. with lying, nor even 
with misrepresentation, or assumption — Mr. Morton, also, he read that 
letter, or it was his duty to know its contents, but he never thought 
of charging Mr. S. his own chosen pastor, with lying on that head : 
though he assumed such airs, as we must call them, on seeing the 
New York letter; at this he was greatly moved, and declared to Mr^ 
S. himself, that he could endure such conduct in a minister no longer. 
Mr. Codman also was told of this letter, and he, in solemn tone gave 
his opinion to Mr. S. that it was a very imprudent thing, and must 
hurt the deacon'^s mind. But Mr, C. had forgotten the advice he 
gave Mr. S. on his installation in Boylston Hall. He then advised 
Mr. S. to demand and covenant for salary before the installing coun- 
cil, adding that it was not duty for Mr. S. with his family, to make 
such sacrifices to serve any people. Will you, gentlemen, have the 
goodness to remind Mr. C. of these circumstances, and take his pre- 
sent opinion. It is needless to add that this measure failed, and the 
deacon, with his auxiliary friend M. was obliged to relinquish this 
strong hold. 

After the failure and manifest impiety «f this, what we must call the 
JK^ew Fork letter plot, the deacon found it necessary to move with more 
caution, and keep more in the back ground ; he found it would not do to 
deal in specific charges, when he could not make them out ; such mea- 
sures only tended to his own disgrace. Henceforward whatever was 
to be brought against our pastor, was to be in dark insinuations, after 
the following examples — Mr. Bean knew that of Mr. S. which if he did 
but tell abroad^ would silence Mr. S. as a preacher forever in Boston. 
But Mr. B. could not be persuaded to tell it. Mr. Morton and 
Mr. Josselyn knew things of Mr. S. which they were sure he would 
never meet before a council. The deacon when applied to, did not 
know any thing against Mr. S. himself, but if the inquirer would go to 
Major J. he knew enough. Major J. was applied to, and he knew not 
a,ny thing 5 and like a gentleman and a Christian took the earliest op- 



20 Mr. Codman en^asred. 

portunity to inform Mr. S. of the inquiry, assuring Mr. S. at the same 
time of his surprise at the application, adding, that he had never 
thought nor insinuated any thing unfriendly to Mr. S. or to his 
character. The way in whicJi this new mode of attack upon our 
privileges broke upon us is somewhat singular, and must be distinct- 
ly stated in order to a correct view of our case. 

We have seen that the deacon started with a determination to 
have, for his pews, 25 per cent, above their value. Another favourite 
object was, he must be head of the church, all must bow to his office 
standard. The money however was perhaps the dearest object, this 
he could not forego. A little before the breaking out of the troubles 
it was manifest to all, who had any insight into the aflfairs of the 
society, that the deacon's mode of management must ruin every 
thing; a consultation was therefore held by some of ihe pew pro- 
prietors on this subject; a plan and schedule of the meeting-house were 
prepared, in which it was shown that a small sacrifice on each pew 
sold, and a lowered rate upon ail yet to sell aud hire, would relieve 
the society from its distress, and be a pledge of future prosperity. 
This plan and schedule were shewn to the deacon, with a desire 
that a parish meeting might be regularly called, in order to take the 
thing into due consideration. The deacon looked at it, and promised 
that a meeting should be speedily called for that express purpose: 
but this meeting he never called, though repeatedly urged, but perse- 
vered in measures by which to remove our minister, and throw the 
whole congregation into a slate of confusion and dismay. Mr. Cod- 
man is the deacon's oracle, he goes over to Dorchester and opens his 
case, informs Mr. C. that he has three and twenty thousand dollars at 
stake in Essex Street, and that Mr. S. must be renioved or all will be 
lost. Mr. S. must be gotten rid of, but the question is, How ? The 
deacon informs Mr. C. that somebody knows of something against Mr. 
S. though the deacon does not pretend to know any thing himself, and 
the deacon is afraid to venture t^nother JYew Fork letter plot. Mr. S. 
must be partly terrified and partly allured, and Mr. C. must undertake 
the business. Accordingly Mr. C. avails himself of the first oppor- 
tunity to see Mr. S. and open the case; he comes he says as a friend 
to Mr. S. — Query. Would it not have been friendly if Mr. C. had 
refused to hear the deacon's complaints, and reported him as a disor- 
derly member of the church, deserving discipline rather than succour 
and sympathy } Would it not have been friendly if Mr. C. had 
heard our minister's side of the story,before he had made up his mind 
and embarked in this party matter? Mr. C. comes to Mr. S. as a 
friend and tells him, in a consequential tone, that he (Mr. S.) must ask 
his dismission from his society. But wherefore ? why the deacon is 



Mr. C^s. Advice to Mr, S. 21 

resolved that Mr. S. shall be dismissed, and the deacon's influence is 
next to omnipotent. But is the deacon's will to rule the church and 
minister.^ The deacon says that a majority of the church and socie- 
ty wish a dissolution of the connexion. But Mr. C. is told by a gen- 
tleman, one of the society standiog by, that there is no evideuce of a 
majority of the church and society being with the deacon, hut the 
contrary is in evidence. Well, Mr. C. is satisfied that the deacon 
cannot be opposed, and that Mr. S. must resign Essex Street. Mr. 
C. sleeps upon this interview which he had had with Mr. S. and re- 
news the subject the next morning after a journey to Boston. Mr. C. 
comes as a friend to advise Mr. B. to return to England. Mr. S. 
"But a return to England with my family will be attended with an 
expense I am not able to bear." Mr. C. O your eocpenses will he 
home — to be sure if they send yon hence, they must bear the expense. 
Mr. S. " But if 1 return to England thus, what shall I say as a rea- 
son for my return, for my old friends there know that I appear to be 
well settled in Boston." Mr. C. Say — why say that this climate dues 
not a^ree with yeur health. Mr- S. " Bui my brother, there is not, 
as every body knows, a more healthy man in Boston than I am. How 
then can I say that." Mr. C. Why then cannot you think of some- 
thing else. Mr. S. " No, my brother, I cannot think of any thing as 
a reason for returning to England ; much as 1 love my native coun- 
try, this is now my country ; 1 have been made useful here, and here 
I have many friends, and here I intend to spend my days." Mr. C. 
Well then you can go to JS\w Fork, where your preaching will be better 
received than in Boston, and you will be well recommended by council^ 
and I also will write in your favour, and your expenses to J\'ew York 
will be defrayed the same as if you went to England. — There w as much 
more conversation, on the same subject, at this time equally charac- 
teristic of Mr. C's. agency, and as characteristic of the badness of 
the cause Mr. C. had undertaken. Is it not astonishing that Mr. C. 
a man of experience, and of high standing, could be so led away by 
a sordid timeserving man. Mr. C. also should have called to mind 
his troubles in former times — what attempts were made to remove 
him; and what a long story he told, and in print too, of his struggles 
and oppressions and sorrows, and how his Heavenly Master delixer- 
ed him, and settled him down in his parish in spite of all his oppos- 
ers, where he was on the day he rose up to ];elp a rich deacon to re- 
move a poor brother. He should have thought of all this, and it is 
not too late to think of it now : and he can confess his faults to a 
church, and to a minister, he has greatly injured : he will find for- 
giveness, both of God and man, against wlioni he has transgressed. 
But restitution as well as confession will be necessary -, in the church 



2^ v2 Hint to Park Street. 

he has injured there is much to repair, and it is his duty to do it, 
and if he do not, his misdeeds will surely find him out. It is pre- 
sumed that Mr. G. could never have been acquainted with these cir- 
cumstances, or he never would have left Reading and come to Boston, 
to involve hi« fair name in all this guilt and shame. 

The patronage the deacon had obtained in such a man as Mr. C. 
emboldeKed him to seek farther protection in the aid of churches and 
ministers in Boston. Boston ministers, to their credit, were not so 
easily embarked in a work, which had so many bad looking faces on 
it. And it is devoutly to be wished, that the deacon had as little 
succeeded with the members of their churches : but it must be ad- 
mitted as a fact, that he found some leading men in these societies, 
Kiore especially in Park Street, quite ready to assist him in his con- 
traband labours — but this will be seen more distinctly hereafter. One 
would think it hardly possible that Park Street eould so soon forget 
her troubles — there was a time, and not Jong back, when she was 
young and feeble and fearful, and her enemies were numerous and 
strong : she was reproached and slandered and persecuted, and her 
first and favourite minister, with her, maligned and outraged, they 
became together a proverb and a bye word : their house of worship 
was a sign of reproach, and the corner on which it stands nicknam- 
ed : Park Street is in debt to the present day, and a great burden to 
many individuals in the congregation : she has entailed loss and 
damage upon families, the heads of which are gone into the world of 
spirits. When the afflicted state of her little sister at Essex Street 
came before her, it was natural to expect that she would be on the 
wing to help and to succour the oppressed. But Park Street lead- 
ing men promptly took a part with the oppressor. Lord what is 
Bian ! 



LETTER III. 

Measures adopted by the deacon for the removal of the minister— Letten between the minister and 
deacon— Church meetings contemplated and attempted— The deacon avoids a regular meeting— A 
church meeting on the 8ih January', Rev. William Jenks presides, the deacon aud his party will not 
attend— The business of the meeting interrupred by an artifice of the deacon assisted by some " mem- 
bers of sister churches''- Reflections on Mr. Morton's conduct as a party in this artifice, and another 
hint to Mr. G. 

Encouraged as the deacon now found himself to be, by leading 
men in the orthodox churches, he thought he might safely advance. 
Essex Street church he considered as nothing, any farther than as 
some of its members might assist him in accomplishing his purposes; 
his twenty three thousand dollars in the meeting-house was every 
thing to him ; and he saw that, that sum of money must give him 
eonsequenee in the eyes of many in the religious eommanity. After 



€luestions^ £3 

this he never dreamed of proceeding as a deacon, or as church mem» 
ber, in a regular ecclesiastical way. A regular meeting of the church 
he superseded, by calling together as many members of the church a» 
he thought fit to assemble, just to inform them of what he had alrea- 
dy done, and of what he intended to do. Mr. S. he said, was not a fit 
man to preach at Essex Street, he had always been unpopular — the 
sermon Mr. S. had preached at Maiden, and afterwards printed, had 
always been a stumbling block, and a hinderance ; that he himself 
was satisfied it was so, and that Mr. S. must be dismissed, and the 
church would flourish ; his money too was at great risk, as things 
^vere, which to him was a serious consideration ; he hoped the breth- 
ren present would concur in his decisions and dismiss Mr. S. the pul- 
pit, he said, would be taken under the care of Andover Seminary—. 
Mr. C. would come once a month and administer the sacrament, and 
all things would go on well. It was natural, however, that the dea- 
con should be asked some questions by the brethren present. Ques- 
tion. < As to the Maiden sermon, deacon, were you not the man first to 
approve of that sermon, were you not the voluntary agent of some of 
the hearers of it, to ask a copy for the press, and did you not usually 
exult in the publication of it ?' A^o direct answer. Q. < Did not you, 
deacon, Mr. Melledge and Mr. Morton, at your own instance, and at 
your own expense print and publish a second edition of that ser- 
mon ?' Ml dumb. Had one of you gentlemen, whom we are now ad- 
dressing, been present on the occasion you could have replied for the 
deacon, in the affirmative, as it seems he did in your presence advo- 
cate the sermon and declare that he would have a new edition^ if it 
were at his own expense. — Another question at this meeting. ' Dea- 
con, have you not been lavish in the praise of our mirister, till with- 
in a very few weeks of this date, nay within a few days.' Still 
dumb, Q. ' How is it that you have so suddenly and so recently 
come to the conclusion of dismissing Mr. S.' A. ' Mr. Codman ad- 
vised me to the measure.^ Q « When was the advice given.' »^. 
* fVhen I was at the ordination at Bridgewater a week or two since.* 
— Note, sirs, on this article, Mr. C. took Mr. S. down to Bridgewa- 
ter with him in his chaise : Mr. S. preached for Mr. C. one evening 
and slept at his house by Mr. C's. invitation: Mr. S. was welcomed 
by Mr. C. at the Union Association at Randolph, the day before the 
ordination, and pressed into the moderator's chair by Mr. C. Mr. S. 
was flattered by Mr. C. as they travelled together, on his (Mr. S.) 
success at Essex Street, &c. &c. And at this same time Mr. C. is ad- 
vising the deacon to push Mr. S. out of his office, as a minister of 
Christ, at least the deacon says so. Again, Lord what is man ! 
This party-meeting, which was called together at the deacon's owa 



24i Conciliatory Letter, 

house, broke up without any pretension to its being a regular and du- 
ly constituted church meeting : it was not organized, the pastor knew 
not of it, no chairman was appointed, no votes, nor any minutes tak- 
en, nor any regular adjournment. But at a church meeting called a 
little time afterwards, this said meeting, held as described at the dea- 
con's house, was declared by deacon Meiledge to have been a regular 
churcb meeting duly constituted, duly recorded in the church book, 
and duiy vouched : all of which Mr. M. knew to be utterly false, the 
church book never had been in his possession, and the whole of the 
meeting, he knew, was an outrage upon the privileges of the ch?irch 
and society. Tbis deacon's meeting was held ou the 13th Novem- 
ber, 1821. The day followiiig the deacon, with his colleague and one 
other member of the church, called at our pastor's house, but as he 
was from home, they made no communications, nor did they, the dea- 
con, or any one beside, ever give the pastor any direct or regular 
minutes of that meeting, from whence, as well as from what we know 
besides, we concluded, tlial, that meeting was disorderly and illegal, 
notwithstanding Mr. J'IeUeds;e^s assertion in the church, that it was 
regularly recorded and vouched. 

Mr. S. however came in(o possession of the doings of this meeting 
in the course of the following day ; he considered it as having a se- 
rious aspect, and being from home when the deacon and his compan- 
ions called, thought it would be proper to notice it, which he aeeord- 
ingly did in the following letter. 

To Deacon Parker. 
" My dear deacon, 

" A soft answer turneth away wrath — the wrath of man worketh 
** not the righteousness oi God. These are maxims, my brother, to 
*^ which we are bound to attend. I have just heard of your meeting 
*' last evening, but of the official result I know nothing. But one 
*< thing I know, that deacon P. and his minister, united in affection and 
*' exertion, are capable of raising the honours of our dear Redeemer 
" high in this region, but if acting in opposition they are mutually 
<* capable of making that same Saviour grieve. My dear deacon, I 
*' have now to say, under these considerations, if you will bury in 
<" everlasting silence all that is past between us, and make me your 
" friend, and let me call you friend and brother, and be just what I 
" wished to believe we were, during the ordination week at Bridge- 
<« water, all will be well. And 1 farther say, in terms of the most 
" unequivocal affection, that the preaching shall never be, as it never 
" has been, for you or any individual in the place. If you and I 
" make of each other, as we ought to do, mutual confidents, with 



Replif. 35 

<< brother Melledge, it is Botall the evil spirits in Boston can disturb 
" th€ peace of Essex Street. Only let deacon P. say to ail the 
" church, that the minister and the deacons have come to mutual un- 
" decstaudiug, and the thing is at rest : and I, from hence, give you 
" leave, upon these terms, to say 1 am a man of no faith, if, on my 
" part, there is the lea^t ground for dissaasfaction. But if we can- 
" not now meet, 1 know not how this matter vyill end. No one knows 
" of this line but you and I and Mr. M. to whom 1 wish you to show 
'• it, and if you two, without any one else, will either reply to this, or 
" send for n»e, or c^U upon me, and say these terms are accepted, all 
"is well, and nothing passes my lips, and every mouth will be stopped. 
<• I have no desire to ask you to make any acknow ledgements, nor 
" do 1 wish any explanations, only say, * peace be still and there shall 
'' be a great calm,' and many hearts in Boston will beat high with 
" grateful recollections. Take this letter to your closet, and spread it 
" before God, and take bis judgment upon it, as 1 think I have done. 

" Yours 1 am, 
" And Your's I will be, 
" .rot- . 14, 1821. J. S." 

There is one circumstance in this letter, on which we must remark. 
Mr. S. refers to a complaint, i/io^ his 'preaching had been considered 
by the deacon as personal. Mr. S. had. a few weeks before this, given 
great oftence to Mr. Bean, in a sermon or Matthew vi 24. '• No man 
can serve two masters — ye cannot serve God and mammon." This 
sermon, Mr. B. thought exactly suited him, but as he did not like to 
be alone, he persuaded the deacon, that it was equally applicable to 
him also : and so they both took great offence at it. — The deacon, in 
his complaint, told his friend Codman, that it was preached right down 
into his pew. Here, as in many other cases, we see the power of con- 
science ! 

These 13th and 14th of November, were days of business. On the 
loth, at even-tide, the deacon held the above illegal meeting. At the 
same hour Mr. S. and Mr. Codman were in conversation at Dorches- 
ter. On the 14th Mr. C. renewed the conversation in Boston, and 
gave Mr. S. the famous advice, to leave this country for his health. 
On the same day, the deacons called at the house of Mr. S. The a- 
hove letter too, was written, and in the afternoon followed the reply. 

To Rev. James Sabine. 

" Boston, ilth jyovember, IS2i. 
" Rev. and Dear Sir, 

" Your letter of this day's date, I have received, and agreeable (o 
" your re<juest have shewn it to deacon Melledge. We hasten to an- 
4 



2Q Remarks on the Reply. 

" swer it, and in that way which appears most likely to advance the 
"Glory of God and the spiritual benefit of the church with which we 
'* stand connected. 

" We assure you we are ready to meet your wishes as far as our- 
<* selves are individuaNy eoneerne*!, that whatever has been unpleas- 
" ant between us " may be buried in silence" — but as we stand con- 
" nected with the church and society, personal feelings must give way 
" to a sense of duty. We can neither forget nor excuse the circum- 
" stances vjhieh have led to the present unhappy state of the church 
" and society, much as we deplore the result, it \s but the expected 
<* consequences of the conduct we have so often complained of. and 
"which in our opinion has been so prejudicial to the interest of the 
*' church and society to which we belong. We beg leave to inform 
« yon that it is our decided opinion, and that also of the greater part 
" of the church and society, that there should be a separation, and no- 
" thing short of this will prevent the falling away of the congre- 
** gation. 

" W^e therefore recommend you to ask a dismission, which no doubt 
^* will be grant«i<ii you. an I the council which will acquiesce in your 
" submission will give you a «^uitable certificate. 
" Sk ith due Respect, 
" We remain with much sincerity, 
" Yours, 

" N. P. deacon. 
" J. M. do." 

This letter is signed by the two deacons, P. and M. but it is in the 
hand writing of Mr. M.— and very supposable his diction. A man 
ought to think over what he is about to write, and when he has writ- 
ten it, he would do well to look at it again, before he adds his signa- 
ture. It might be concluded, from what this letter declares, that 
Mr. M. did neither of these. The letter of Mr S. to tlie deacon, 
roust of necessity bring the subject out upon visible ground, the dea- 
con must reply to it. and in writing too : the deacon has therefore a 
visible part to act, and his thoughts and purposes must become visi- 
ble also: it will not do any longer to consult with his friends Cod- 
man, Morton and Bean, and wrap it up in a select conclave of officious 
agents : a ease must now be made out, so that any one may read it. 
It must be asserted and declared, that the church and society have 
been long declining under Mr. S's. ministry, and that this unpopular 
and unprofitable ministry, is the cause of this decline; and that this 
has long been visible to the deacons, and a subject of repeated com- 
plaint-— Mr. S. also has been often ^^ complained of" to himself; he 



Two Stories. 27 

has beeu told by the deacons of his "couduct often. '^ This then comes 
out in the letter addressed to our minister, " We (the deacons) can 
" neither forget nor excuse the circumstances which have led to the 
" present unhappy state of the church and society. JNlueh as we de- 
" plore the resuU it is but the expected consequences of the conduct 
« we have so often complained of, and which in our opinion has been 
" so prejudicial to the interest of the church and society." But, sirs, 
you will naturally ask what this " conduct" on the part of Mr. S. 
could have been, of which they had so " often" complained; a " con- 
duct" too, that had brought the church and society into such an " un- 
happy state?" And we reply, that we cannot tell, we never heard the 
deacon, or any of hi^ friends say : we had heard him, till within a 
few days, of the date of this letter, declare that our minister was 
most faithful, laborious, and devoted, and that the church and so- 
ciety were prospering exceedingly under his ministry-4-this he declar- 
ed spontaneously at a meeting held in the vestry, when 40 or 50 peo- 
ple were present ; adding, that great was the responsibility of the 
people, under such privileges. And Mr. Melledge also, was not a lit- 
tle lavish in his praises at the same date : and yet at the same time, 
these gentlemen say, and say it in writing, that our minister's con- 
duct was, "so prejudicial to the interest of the church," that he must 
be dismissed. Nor have we ever heard since, any thing of our minis- 
ter's conduct prejudicial to the interest of the society, except, that he 
could not sell the pews at 25 per cent, above the cost. There is an- 
other sentence in this letter to be noticed, "We beg leave to inform 
you that it is our decided opinion, and that also of the greater part 
of the church and society, that there should be a separation." As it 
respects (/ie fi?ecic?ed opinion o/i/^e GREATER /?ar/^ of the church and 
society^ on the subject of rfismission, we afidrm, without the least fear 
of contradiction, that when the deacons wrote this, they knew it to 
be untrue, and long since it has been known to the world as a mere 
fiction, to answer private ends. What a sad thing it is that the sacred 
name of religion, and the glory of God, should be called in to sanc- 
tion such ungodliness : but these deacons tell us, in this same letter, 
that they are acting in a " way which appears (to them) most like- 
" ly to advance the glory of God, and the spiritual benefit of the 
" church." 

With this letter of the deacons before us, it was not difficult to see 
how matters were to be pressed. Our minister was to be driven a- 
way, whether the church approved or not, but the deacon would ef- 
fect his removal, in a way that should as little as possible reflect on 
the deacon's own character. Mr. S. must be hired to go away, and 
|l11 the expenses of his removal paid, so Mr. Codman is authorized 



2B Meetings proposed. 

to say, and a gobd character too Mr. S. shall have, says the deacon, 
" as good as pen can write." But what if Mr. S. will not go a- 
way ? why then, says a ** vile person,*' red hot from the deacon, his 
character shall he blasted, and his family brmi^ht to penury. This 
system, made up of such discordant materials, ot-blessing and hla^iix^, 
showed at once the weakness of the deacon's eaa^se, and tended to es- 
tablish the minds of the church and ministier. 'But these terms of 
treachery and of terror, not being accepted by <jur tnihister, the dea- 
con must resort to a church and parish meeting; accordingly by his 
ewn authority, noticps are handed to the minister, for \\\m to pub- 
lish, demanding two meetings, one of thechurch and j)ro'prietors..and 
one of the church ali)ne These notices were ^rA'en out from the pnl- 
pit, on the 2d December, by Mr. S. as directed by the deacons ; but 
before the day arrived for the first of these published mt^tings, th'ft 
deacons, by their own veto, countermanded thp«i : vote Und veti), it 
seems, Were always with the deacons' board, the people had no voice 
tinless they would s^eak with the deacon's mouth. On the 2Sd, a se- 
cond notice was prepared by the dea'cons for a'ihipetin§ in'fbe foMowr 
ing week, but as Mr.. S. declared h^imself 'pre-engixg^ at 'ilie tirwe 
proposed, the meeting "^vas, by him, re'quircd to^be oH's'O'me other day, 
htttbD 'other daHp «onld be ac^c^pt^d by the dekfc?t<^i— ilfie'^fi^Tiole (HitiV^ 
wa& con stilted after. the public service, but tid 'other dayfebiildb^ ob- 
tained. • Mr, Morton wasJesfeeedingFy out of temper, and expressed 
-bifliselflii^ry.fm'^ry tottey-to think thie mif^fs^di-'^oald dare"'to drs- 
puteitilie deacons* authority to call a'in"eking,*\fheii and 'wliei^thej^ 
pleased; or even fo desire a'feother^aydiffereiit -from that appuiiVted 
hj^the deacons. Our minister also declared' it- to be his d^etiirniimt- 
li'O^ and right, to be present ^vben a i^egiilar ehlirch mfee^ng ^t^s ealF' 
C*l,and that no meeting shottld he convened, without his concurrence. 
^Ir. S. also begged that when this ntee'tin^ should be called, a broth- 
er minister should, by permission of the ijhureh and pastor, preside. 
^At the proposed chairmanship of a brother clergyman, deacon Mel- 
ledge exceedingly started, and all his friends seemed disedm'^ted. 
The church could have voted this last request, but Mr. 6. did not 
-press the matter, neither «ould a time be fixed upon -for '^he desired 
meeting, and th« conference %roke up with great com hwti on "dn the 
part of the deacon's friends, to think that a minister should dare to 
dispute with a rich deacon. As there vv«s nMv s'omte iotermissfoti in 
visible proceedings, Mr. S. addressed the followitig epistle to the 
deacons. 
"My Christian Brethren, 

" Since you and 1 had any comniunieations en theliTisiness relating 
•• to the church, some few weeks have elapsed, during which time, I 



Letter to the Deacons, 29 

«liaVt hati opportunity to mpditate, to ask counsel, and to observe 
*< the tftovemeiits of Ood's holy providence. The result of which is, 
"•thkt^s 1 have had nothi^i^ to do wtth this various shaped matter, I 
" a-rti resolved te have actively nothing to do with it. Providence 
" brou^l>( me to Boston, the same providence engaged me in thepl»ce 
" as a minister of C^irist. Providence, through my humble instrumen- 
" t^1i4y, taised a congregation and gathered a cfcurch, and settled 
"rtlfe^Vs" paster and teacher. Providence, also, in due time, built 
" the house in which we worship, and has collected a goodly number 
"of people tfiei-e. in all these things 1 have been only a feeble in- 
" stroment' — I laid no plans— employed no art — effected no contriv' 
'* anoe — made no party ; all, as it appears to me, has been of the pro- 
" vidence«f Ood. Within the last six or eight months more than or- 
" dinary signs of Gods's favour have been upon us, so as to realize 
*' the best hopes of the devout Olvristian, Now, w^hat can 1 have to 
" do ki the consequences and results of all tliese things — do not these 
" 'belong to God ? why should i meddle with them .p And you bretb- 
*' ren, as ye -also know, have gone about from house to house declaring 
" your joiy and delight iu tliese thjw,t"s. Now, you advise me to leave my 
" labours and my duties, (duties j»o manifest a.id declared, yourselves 
" being judges) you offer me a4arge sum of money, with the promise 
<' of a good character, if I ^\^U abandon ray work and my labour. 
'' But fro^T^can 1 follow such advke, under such circumstances ^ Is 
" this the way in which the Great Head of the Church appoints and 
*< reih^'V^s hiswinisters ? Yo^ go a1)out to threaten roe,wilh I know not 
" 'What, if 1 dt) not accede to your strange proposal— how is this ? Now, 
*«'breth**e». permit me to tell you honestly my eonvietions on this head. 
*« 1 fear that yoAJ Jia-ve 'been hurried into this measure by some ungodly 
^'advisei's^ — that yoit have rushed upon this without thought, without 
"^eadingyourbibie^withoutconsuitingihe lawfully constituted authori- 
*' tiesj'without tlie due fear of God, and without taking gospel ground, 
«' I judge thus, because, in all these measures, providence afforded you 
"no facilities: from the first, God took off your chariot wheels so that 
" Ihey go heavily. There has been no opposition, no plan of re- 
« distance to your scheme, and yet you cannot make your scheme hold 
"together; it *alls to pieces of itself. In prosecuting this measure, 
" evil passions have been abundantly employed, a lying spirit is gone 
"forth, and great swelling words of vanity have been uttered. Now 
"in all this there is some guilt. I hope the charge will not be laid 
" to you, but it will be laid somewhere. 

"'If God has no need of my labours, any longer in this place, he 
" will remove me by some providences clear and distinct, but not by 
« ihe hire aod threatenings of men. God has a variety of means by 



so Advice given denied, 

" which to remove his ministers, he may use the power, or the wrath 
<^ of man to remove me, and to these means I hope I should quietlj 
<< submit, but I cannot be hired to go away, and say that I leave for 
'^ reasons for which I do not leave ; nor can I be frightened away 
" with such idle threats as have been held out. If I am removed, 
** whether by artifice or by the strong arm of power, you shall have 
*' the whole credit of such means from first to last, I take no share of 
^« the responsibilily upon myself — ' Be still and know that 1 am God,' 
"is the scripture that stays me. 

<' Brethren, this is no ordinary affair, God is concerned in it, and he 
" will doubtless make the matter plain before he leaves it. What- 
" ever duties are incumbent on me, as minister of the church and con- 
" gregation, I hope 1 shall be enabled faithfully to discharge, but I 
"shall strive and, contend for no personal rights, here am 1, do with 
" me as seemeth unto you good. The providence of God is able to 
" vindicate his own cause, and I am willing to abide that deqision. 
" The final counsel by which 1 abide is this, ' Refrain from these men 
" and let them alone : for if this qounsei or this work be of men it 
" will come to nought, but if it be of God ye cannot overthrow it, lest 
" haply ye be found even to fight against God.' 

" Yquj's for 
*< Christ's Sake 

ii Elliot Street, December 25, ±821, . J..S." 

. 7a/> erf*' 
To this letter Mr, S. received no reply, but at this times it became 
a matter of free conversation, that the deacon denied his havjng ad- 
vised Mr. S. upon coming to this country. This reported declara- 
tion, as coming from the deacon, Mr. S was frequently told, but 
could not be persuaded to admit,that the deacon eould deny, what was 
so clearly and so repeatedly asserted by the deacon himself, both by 
word and letter: indeed the deacon had, one would think, so often 
declared himself the means of bringing Mr. S. to Boston, that it 
would be impossible for him to declare otherwise : but the fame of 
Mr. S. must be destroyed, and if he has derived any character from 
the reported patronage of the deacon, this must be declared to be a 
false impression, and the deacon must do this himself too at all risks. 
The denial of this fact was at length, at least a month after its date, 
shown to Mr. S. under the deacon's own signature, in these words, 
" As I have been informed that it is a general opinion that deacon 
" MelledgB and myself advised Mr. Sabine to come to Boston, I wish 
" distinctly to say this was not the fact." Our minister was not 
more surprised at this written declaration of the deacon, than we 
were, at least those of us, who had so often heard him make the op- 



Mother Letter. SI 

posite declaration ; but Mr. S. thought it had come to such a serious 
point, as to justify him in addressing a pastoral letter to theses tumb- 
ling and backsliding brethren, the letter bears date only two days 
after the foregoing. 

To Messrs. Deacons Parker and Melledge. 
" My Brethren, 

" There is nothing that has taken place in the church of late, how- 
" ever unpleasant, that has dissolved the sacred connection between 
"you and me as pastor and people; nor can any steps you have tak- 
" en release me from the duties I owe you as your minister. Let me 
" then address myself to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
*' whose servant 1 am, and in w hose stead 1 am to you a watchman and 
'' a shepherd. Let me also beg of you to receive this from me, as it 
" is due you should, with meekness and Godly fear. I am sorry to 
" say, that I have with grief observed in you for some time, a vacil- 
" lating affection to the Gospel of Christ. When 1 see men outward- 
" ly deficient in duty, 1 judge that more private duties have either 
<' been long neglected, or attended to, with coldness and formality; 
" whether this has been your case, you best know : but your outward 
" attachment to the cross has in my eye, and in the eye of others, 
*' been lately of a doubtful character. I judge not thus by a single 
" fact, but by a train of facts, painful to refer to, but such as it is my 
" duty to state. Your late stir about your money, has been in such a 
*' way, as to lead us to conclude, that the Glory of Christ is a secon- 
" dary object. You talk and write about the glory of God, but with 
*• what grace, while your are so clamorous about that, the love of 
" which, is the root of all evil. Again, you have been giving and re- 
" ceiviiig counsel with worldly men, and have set up their opinion 
" and advice in opposition to that of the church. The measures too, 
<* you have of late been pursuing, have been disorderly, irregular, and 
" contrary to the usages of the churches — there is yet another thing, 
<* you have at times gone about from house to house, speaking to the 
" praise of divine ordinances at Essex Street; while at the same 
" period, in other circles, you have been speaking against (hem. Your 
" conduct in regard to the Maiden sermon is a great stumbling block, 
"to say and unsay a thing must be exceedingly wrong; if any ihing 
" in fhis letter should seem to clash with declarations and hop-** ex- 
" pressed in your favour before, it will be seen to ari«e from two cir- 
" cumstances, the first of which is, I have endeavoured nmidst many 
"fears, to hope and believe the best, and theipfore ] have expre^-ed 
" myself favourably. But the second eircumstinee is a drt'iidfiil one, 
" which I did not know, till since 1 wrote the letter you received yes- 



^ Letter, 

" terday. This circumstance, not only a\vake«8 fresh fears, but leads 
" me almost to question the whole of your profession. When I read 
" the letter addressed to the Female Petitioners of Essex Street, you 
" must think 1 was thunderstruck, imagine what mu,st have been ray 
" feeling«» upon reading these lines superscribed with deacon Parker's 
" own hand. '* P. S. As I have been informed it is a general opinion 
" that deacon Jfetledge and myself advised Mr. Sabine to come to Bos- 
^^ton — I wish distinctly to say this was not the fact.''' Did not your 
" hand tremble when you wrote this line, or did not your tongue 
•••faulter when you dictated it. O ray brethren, hpw could you be so 
" off your guard, when you ought to have recollected, that I possess 
«< your letters in full on that subject, written and subscribed with your 
^ own hands ; in which you Justify the measure, advise the way, 
"promise your patronage, advise with Dr. Morse, flatter me with ac- 
^* ceptance as a preacher in the " first pulpits," pra>y that a gracious 
" GotI would attend my steps, and make me a blessing to *• our Ameri- 
" can Israel." Dr. Morse's letter too, is a confirmation of your dis- 
*' tinet advice, your "joint" advice, which I have also before me. 
" Now what can you say to this ? 1 am astonished that you should be 
" driven to such lengths, what will the sisters of the church say to 
"your letter with this on to it — you gravely talk of your concern for 
" the glory of God, and the building up of his church amongst us," but 
" will they believe that you have this object in view, when you close 

" your letter to them with what shall it be called I have but 

" one refuge, peradventure it was an oversight. Brethren, I can think 
" of nothing that can save you from disgrace, and the cause of truth 
<' from greater injury ,but your coming immediately to discipline ; there 
" is no alternative that 1 can see. Your speedy repentance and ac- 
" knowledgraent to the church, which you have injured greatly, is 
" the only way the scripture points out, and the sooner this is done 
<' by you both, the better : I do not see any thing else can save you, 
*' to persist will only make bad worse,and finally endanger your weli- 
'« fare for time and eternity. 

" Think not from hence, that I have forgotten your services in the 
<< cause of our common Lord, or that 1 undervalue your acts of kind- 
" ness to me and mine, but your present conduct has brought a cloud 
^' over the whole of it. I have not forgotten to pray for you, nor 
'^ shall I, but I hope you will be enabled to pray for yourselves. 

" In much grief and 
" Deep concern, 

" Your Pastor, 

«*■ Elliot Street, December 27, 1821 . J. S.*^ 



Church Meeting, 8th of January, S3 

This letter was a private communication, it was a pastoral admo- 
nition, no one knew any thing of it but the parties to whom it was 
sent : the charges are of a serious nature, such as to affect the church 
standing of the deacons; and if the pastor had made a mistake, or 
had in their estimation been misled in this matter, it was a duty they 
owed themselves and the church, to have, in the same private way, 
corrected the mistake and set their pastor right. But instead of this, 
or of receiving the admonition, they go out and show the letter to 
members of other churches ; the deacon goes over to Dorchester, 
head quarters of schism and disorder, and here the letter is kenned 
over by Mr. C. who is employed by the deacon to go and reprove Mr. 
S, for daring to reprove such a man as the deacon. 

Two days after the date of the above, a third notice was prepared 
by the deacons, for a church meeting on a certain day subsequent : 
but the efficiency of this notice was superseded by a regular and legal 
notice, subscribed by nine of the brethren, with the approbation of the 
pastor. Both notices, however, were read from the desk — the dea- 
cons' notice was for the following Tuesday, a warning of only three 
days ; the notice authorized by the nine members and pastor gave a 
warning of ten days, the latter notice no one could dispute as legal 
and in due order ; the other also no one could vindicate as proper 
and authoritative. Upon the publication of this legal notice the dea- 
cons declared that they would not attend, and did every thing within 
their power to render the proposed meeting abortive, and this in some 
measure they effected, as we shall see presently. The deacon's 
meeting was held, as published, at his house, but attended so partial- 
ly as to effect nothing, except another proof, that the deacon was de- 
termined to have nothing in order. The church had been called to a 
special prayer meeting on an evening previous to the 8th of January, 
the time for the regular call of the church, at which prayer meeting 
it was agreed by the church and pastor, that a neighbouring minister 
should be invited to preside ; the Rev. William Jenks was according- 
ly invited by the pastor, and unanimously accepted by the church, as 
moderator, on the sittting of the church in Essex Street vestry, on the 
evening of the day aforesaid. (8th Jan. 1822.) We are happy to 
have it in our power to appeal to so worthy and so learned a man as 
Mr. Jenks for the order and legitimacy of this meeting, this im^^or^an^ 
meeting, important, not so much from what it did, do, as from what it 
was prevented from, doing. And here you will have another oppor- 
tunity to see how much the deacon dreaded a legal assembly, an as- 
sembly not packed or called by himself, an assembly too, moderated 
and countenanced by an independent and disinterested minister of 
another church, legally called in, to aid by his wisdom and piety. 



34 Meetins: evaded 



'O 



But the proceedings of this meeting must be distinctly detailed. 
Before the meeting was organized, Mr Morton came into the vestry 
with an open letter in bis hand addressed to Mr. S. — as soon as the 
f hair was taken the letter was read as follows : 

"" Boston, 8th January, 1822, 
'' Rev. Sir, 

" By the advice of some of the brethren of the sister churches, we 
>' have consented to suspend further proceedings for the present, as it 
" relates to the state of the church and society, and therefore request 
" that nothing relative to this business shall be proceeded upon at the 
" meeting this evening." Signed by the two deacons and six other 
brethren. 

As Mr. Morton brought this letter, and so became the messenger of 
the deacon's party, and as this letter also bore his signature, it was 
natural for the meeting to ask him some questions, on the design and 
tendency of this epistle. Mr. M. said he was not instructed to say 
any thing on the subject, though he would assure the meeting that 
great stress was to be laid on the advice of brethren of sister churches ; 
he would declare for himself, that he had great concern for the cause 
of the Dear Redeemer ^ for the peace of the church, and for the future 
usefulness of the juistor. Some of the members of the church were 
somewhat taken with this, to them, specious looking letter, and espe- 
cially with Mr. Morton's comment upon it — even our chairman was 
inclined to think well of it and, to use his own words, hail it as " the 
dawn of peace." Others of the nveeting looked at it with different 
feelings. They reasoned upon the knowledge they had of the deacon's 
disorderly conduct and spirit — the deacon had always avoided a duly 
appointed meeting — this meeting, when appointed, met his resistance, 
he would not attend it — he would do all in his power to render it nu- 
gatory. — These things in view, it was natural to expect that this let- 
ter was an artifice — Mr. Morton's shufHing and evasion contributed 
to confirm such conclusions — the deacon also declares his own weak- 
ness, and the weakness of his cause, by presenting the borrowed 
strength of brethren of sister churches — What had brethren of sister 
churches to do with the order and discipline of this church ? — Why 
could not the deacon and his friends come like men, and like Chris- 
tians, boldly into this meeting and fairly meet the question they had 
so perseveringly agitated ? Thus some reasoned, and with good rea- 
son too, but others, less acquainted with the characters of this turbu- 
lent party, hoped tl^ best, and wished to believe that the deacon had 
repented of his rashness and folly : and as our chairman was so far 
persuaded, as to hail it as the dawn of peace, the church seemed will- 
ing to give it a trial. And so the meeting agreed to slop proceedings, 
and came to the following resolution : 



•dppeal to Slste7' Churches. " 35 

^\ Wbereas it appears, from a document si^^ned by several members 
<' of the church not present at this meeting, that it is their desire to 
" suspend, for the present, any proceedings on the subject of the un- 
" happy difficulties which have arisen within this church; and 
** whereas it might tend to the healing of the breach of Christian in- 
" tercourse, which now exists, were this view of the subject to be met 
" with similar views, therefore — Voted, I'hat in the hope of restoring 
" harmony, and for the purpose of bringing fully to view ail the 
" grounds of existing difficulties, in order that they may be removed — 
" the present meeting is dissolved — and a new meeting be called on 
'' the mutual agreement of the members of the church, its deacons, 
" and their pastor — provided, nevertheless, that such meeting be held 
*' as soon as is practicable." 

Thus the business of the meeting was arrested as the petition 
prayed : but the meeting had not bl»en dissolved an hour, before some, 
who had been taken with this fair looking letter, were convinced, 
from conversation with Mr. Morton, on their way home, that all was 
an artifice, merely to get rid of the proceedings of a duly constituted 
church meeting. The brethren of the sister churches too— in what a 
situation does it place them .^ How come they into this letter ? Did 
the deaeon tell them that he was disposed to peace ? Were they de- 
ceived into this belief? Let these members of sister churches say — 
indeed they have spoken out, by their actions, and they tell us that 
ihey were the deacon''s assistants in this guileful embassy — and that 
the guilt of Mr. M. in profaning the name of the " Bmv Redeemer,^'^ 
lies partly at their door. Will you, sirs, ask Mr. Green if he made 
himself acquainted with this transaction, before he answered the dea- 
con's call to Essex Street, because, if he did not, it would be well for 
him to look at it now, and call up these members of his societv, and 
demand of them some explanation. 



LETTER IV. 

No regular meeting can be obtained— T\ir. S. resolves upon going into the Hall unless the deacon gives 
up management— Meeting obi ained on the 3isi January— Rev. Mr. Jenks again presides, present Rev. 
Messrs. Dwight and Wisner, brethren Salisbury and Cutler— Doings of the Meeting— Council is mu- 
tually resolved upon— Rev. gemlemen exhort to quietness and preparedness for Council— Continued 
turbulence of the Deacon and officiousness of his son— Hint to Mr. Green— Mr. S. applies for copy of 
charges and is t efused. 

The period is now arrived for distinctly marking and desi,g;nating 
the illegal and disorderly interference of'' brethren of sister church- 
es." That they do interfere we have under the deacon's own hand, 
who they are we are not told, nor is it at all necessary that we should 
be, it is better that we are not, our remarks will be less personally 



36 Artifice and Violence. 

felt. They are only designated " some of the brethren of sister 
churches," not the sister churches but " some" of the members of 
said churches. Whether these individuals were influential men or 
not, rich or poor, many or few, is a matter of little consequence : they 
are embarked by the deacon in his cause against the church ; they 
take upon them, to advise against the legal measures and proceedings 
of a sister church in regular session, and they do it at the instance of 
a disorderly member of that church, which disorderly member of that 
church, that church had been called to meet or to hear his case : and 
these sundry members of said churches, take upon them by wily arts 
and undisciplined practice to, step in between the church and this dis- 
orderly member, by means of which he is screened, and the church 
outraged. Will these said ehurehes look at this case, and just call 
up these said officious members of their several bodies, and have the 
account of this matter from their own mouths, they maj be able to 
clear themselves, and if not, let tiieni be di^^eiplined as other trans- 
gressing members are or ought to be, for we do by these presents im- 
peach them before their several churches, and before the religious 
community. There is one happy consideration here, this disorderly 
action in the " sister churches" is to be laid at the door of the 
" brethren" not of the ministers, no, ministers well knew that to a- 
bet such disorderly practice would be to endanger the safety of the 
churches in general, and destroy the ministerial influence in particu- 
lar. 

The condition upon which the meeting of the 8th of January was 
dissolved, must, sirs, be borne upon your mind. It was that " A 
meeting be called as soon as practicable." With the doings of this 
meeting the deacon was made acquainted in due form, and it was his 
duty to have immediately consulted with the church and minister, 
that this " new meeting" might have been called ; but instead of 
this, the deacon and his agents go about slandering our minister, say- 
ing that, he must go, nothing can save him. The " brethren of sis- 
ter churches," however, have another part to act in the drama ; they 
sound out their regard for Mr. S. and declare it as their wish that he 
may be permitted to try a few months longer, and see whether he 
cannot build up the society : ihis they declare was the object they 
had in view in the advice they gave in regard to the above meeting, 
on the 8th of January. But this pretence of the sister brethren was 
so thinly covered over, that it was not concealed from us, that the 
only object they had in view was the strengthening of the deacon and 
the baffling and defeat of our minister. We all saw very clearly 
that the building up of the society by Mr. S's. ministry was all a 
fable, while these " brethren" we."e with both hands helping the dea- 



Threatening JVote, B7 

con to pull it down. The " new meeting" for which we had stipulat- 
ed, as instructed by our respected chairman, Mr. Jenks, was never 
talked of by the deacon, nor did it appear to us, that he intended we 
should have any legal meeting called : hence every thing was going 
as fast as possible to ruin, and we were unable to prevent it. At this 
juncture, an experiment was resolved upon by our minister, which we 
shall detail in his own words, as stated by him before council. — " I 
" saw that bafflings and delays were tending very fast to diminish 
" the congregation, and to destroy all good eflfect of the preaching. 
" I could get no advice from members or ministers of other churches, 
" it was such a shapeless business nobody would look at it, nobody 
*' would come to our help. I therefore resolved upon an experiment, 
" not in the most orderly way I will admit, but, on an experiment, 
" which 1 hoped would rouse some friends of religion to action and 
" interference. As to order, I could think of none likely to arise out 
" of the exertion of those who were reduced to a slate of complete 
<« disorder. I, therefore, wrote a note to the secretary of the stand- 
" ing committee, begging him to lay before the pew proprietors my 
" determination to leave the meeting-house and to preach iuBoylston 
" Hall, unless the management and direction of deacon Parker were 
" totally relinquished. This looked like a rash resolution, but, sir, 
" I can assure you it was well considered, it produced the very effect 
" wished for. You remember when Absalom could not obtain an in- 
" terview with Joab, that he sent his servants and set Joab's corniield 
" on fire : this brought the captain at once, and Absalom gained his 
" point. So this threatened measure of going into Boylston Hall, 
" brought to our help several of our brethren of other churches." 

This threatening note of Mr. S. was, it seems, soon shown to 
" brethren of sister churches;" it was never, hovvever, laid before 
the pew proprietors as it was desired by the writer, no, a legal as- 
sembly was what the deacon dreaded. But this said note aroused 
the ministers, they took the alarm, at a brother minister and his 
church, being driven from their meeting-house, at the instance and 
by the oppression of a sordid, worldly deacon. They considered 
the step Mr. S. had threatened to take to be rash and imprudent, 
Ihey advised him to remain in the meeting-house, and by no means 
give up so desirable a hold : this was what Mr. S. and his people 
as much desired, but the question was how could it be retained in 
quiet, without help against such a man as the deacon, who was the 
chief proprietor, and set upon the expulsion of our minister : the dea- 
con was determined to carry every thing with a high hand, all church 
authority was at an end, nor could the society do any thing, in I he exer- 
cise of their rights.-— la this strait> ministers advise upon a duly call' 



38 Meeting of the 3lst January, 

ed church-meeting : Mr. Jenks writes the call which Mr. S. signs, 
and the deacons are applied lo For their signatures, which they can- 
not refuse — the ministers offer their services in the proposed church 
meeting, if the church will require them: and the meeting, after 
some stumbling and starting, is assembled at the deacon's house. 
This meeiing was advised by the above reverend gentlemen to pre- 
vent the operation of the threatening A^ote sent by Mr. S. to the 
standing committee ; such a meeting JVlr. S. had desired, but not be- 
ing able to obtain it, the note had been sent, but now, by the interfer- 
ence of these clergymen, a meeting is obtained, and it is hoped that 
things will be brought into a right train. This meeting, sirs, is an 
epoch in our history and all its doings must be distinctly noticed. 

The meeting was held on the evening of the 31st January, 1822. 
There were present by invitation, Rev. Messrs. Jenks, Dwight and 
Wisner, and brethren Salisbury and Cutler. The deacon's son was 
^^ also present, he was on a visit to Boston at this time ; it was suppos- 

* ed by many, that he was here, in order to be ready, to step into the 

vacant church as soon as our minister should be driven out : hut of 
this design we are quite willing to exonerate him ; he was, as his fa- 
ther's heir, deeply interested in keeping up the property in the meet- 
ing-house, to its first standard of 25 per cent, above its real value. 
This accounts for his unhallowed and obtrusive officiousness. The 
deacon offered his reverend son to the meeting as agent for himself, 
he being sick and infirm. To this offer we and our minister, too 
readily consented, our minister particularly ought to have insisted 
upon his withdrawment : for there was nothing to have been done in 
this meeting, which the deacon could not have done either in his 
own person, or by his colleague in the church ; the introduction of this 
young man was a part of the iniqiiity of this evening's work, he was 
hrought there to assist in driving away our minister, as we shall see 
more clearly upon his docket hereafter. The meeting was organiz- 
ed by calling Rev. Mr. Jenks to the chair. The deacon in his own 
person, and by the agency of his son, strove hard to make the busi- 
ness of the meeting consist in advising Mr. S. to ask his dismission. 
But as we had invited reverend gentlemen to sit with us and advise, 
it was but decorous that we should hear their opinion. Their o- 
pinion was, that the church should, with their minister, submit the 
whole of the difficulties to an ecclesiastical council unanimously 
chosen : the deacon did not like this submission of all matters to such 
a tribunal : he would have a council called to dismiss Mr. S. and 
that should be the prime object of council ; in this call of council he 
wished the church to concur, but if they would not, he would have a 
council called at his own instance, for that purpose; anexparie coun- 



Mutual Council called, 39 

ciL The ministers present showed the deacon, in very distinct tierms, 
the impropriety and even impossibility oppressing matters in such a 
way: they showed that the advice of council could be binding only 
on the parties which agreed to submit to it, on others it could, have 
no effect, an exparte council therefore they proved must be unavail- 
ing. The deacon very learnedly; assisted by his son, showed or at- 
tempted to show, that unless the dismission of the minister was the 
question to be submitted to council, there could be no data for coun- 
cil to act upon; therefore the dismission of the minister must of ne- 
cessity come before council ; this opinion came, the deacon said from 
high authority, from Mr. Codman, we learnt afterwards, and a sage 
opinion it proved to be, for reverend gentlemen present declared it 
as their opinion, that a church could call a council to consider any 
question the church might see fit to lay before them. Mr S. to clear 
the ground and make things look plain, declared his full determina- 
tion not to meet any council upon the question of dismission, its ex^ 
pediency or inexpediency. Mr. S. declared he would meet council 
to be tried for delinquency, and if any charges could be substantiated, 
he would abide the consequence. This resolution, as declared by Mr. 
S. did not suit the deacon at all, for he was still determined, that if 
a council were called, the dismission of the minister should be their 
business ; nor could all the wisdom present, persuade him otherwise ; 
till at length a thought was suggested by the occasion, namely, 
whether Mr. S. might not be asked " If he were prepared to take up 
Lis connexion with the church" as the question might furnish a satisfac- 
tory datum for the deacon. Mr. S. looked at this question on all sides, 
knowing what was the deacon's drift, he hesitated and asked for ex- 
planation, but at length consented that the question should be put 
with this mutual understanding, namely, that it should not be made 
the occasion of bringing the question of dismission before the council : 
Mr. S. submitted to be asked this question, merely, to obviate a dif- 
ficulty which the deacon would seem to abide by, and, to set the bu- 
siness of the meeting agoing ; to this the church gave assent in the 
same terms as Mr. S. had done. With all this precaution and un- 
derstanding, Mr. S. consented that the said question should be asked 
him, and it was accordingly put to him by the chairman. ^. " Sir, 
'• are you prepared to take up your connexion with this church ? »S» 
<• Unequivocally, No — I am not prepared to take up my connexion. 
" I will meet council to try my character and ministerial standing 
" and labours; and if I am found unworthy I will go, but if not I 
" will not go — 1 will be at the disposal of the church not at the dis- 
" posal of council. If the church dismiss me, I go ; if they retain me, 
•' and the council find me worthy, I stay." With all this explanation 



40 For what Council was called, 

and mutual understanding the council was assented to ; and vofed to 
be convened : Mr. S. to nominate four churches and the deacon four. 
The' Letter Missite was then drafted by Mr. Jenks and accepted, 
as follows, " fVhereas it has unhajopily occurred^ that difficulties of 
" considerable magnitude exist in this church, involving both pastor 
<' and members, and which seem beyond our power to remove^ by the 
" ordinary methods to which churches in their individual capacity are 
<' competent ; it was at a full meeting of the Rev. pastor and brethren 
" of the church, on the evening of January 3ist of the current year, 
" ' Voted unanimously. That the pastor and church call a mutual ec- 
" clesiastical council to inquire into difficulties that exist, and give 
" their advice in the case^ agreeably to this vote, Sfc. §'c." The Let- 
ter Missive as we have said was drawn by Mr. Jenks agreeable to 
the advice of the whole church. The letter states that there are 
"difficulties of considerable magnitude" existing: the letter does not 
say where the difficulties exist, this the council are to find out as evi- 
dence shall come before them : the letter does not say these difficul- 
ties are in the ministry of Mr. S. or that they are not, this the coun- 
cil are to determine. But the church, the deacon, and the minister, 
are all agreed that the minister's character and labours are to be the 
subject of trial, that this was to be the subject of trial, Mr. S. the 
deacon and the church were solemnly pledged in church meeting, be- 
fore God and his holy angels ; and for the truth and correctness of 
this statement, we appeal to our reverend friends and brethren pre- 
sent at the time, Messrs. Jenks, Dwight, and Wisner with deacon 
Salisbury and Mr. P. Cutler : and we earnestly call upon these gen- 
tlemen, to reiterate their testimony on this matter, and speak out so 
loud as heaven and earth may hear, and say. Whether Mr. S. was 
pledged to a trial of his character, or upon the expediency of his dis- 
mission — these gentlemen will say which, and say it loudly ! ! But, 
sirs, we hardly need the renewed testimony of these gentlemen, we 
have it explicitly under the signature of the chairman, as his opinion, 
and as the opinion of his two worthy colleagues, in the meeting of the 
31st, which testimony will come in in its place. We have only to add 
on the article of this meeting, that when all had agreed to meet coun- 
cil, the ministers solemnly charged all parties to be quiet, and to enter 
on no farther proceedings, but prepare for council : this charge was 
delivered by Mr. Dwight in terms characteristic of wisdom and pie- 
ty. But the deacon, with his restless spirits, fired with the demon 
af discord, must still keep at the work of faction and war 5 Mr. S. 
must be informed that the pew proprietors wish his dismission, and that 
they approve of the deacon's measures, in order to effect it. Mr. S's. 
threatening letter to the secretary of the standing ommittee bore 



Beacons^ Letter, 41 

tlate 19th January, the progress of Mr. S's. declared resolution 
therein, was arrested by the advice of reverend gentlemen, who as- 
sisted in calling a regular church meeting at tlie deacon-s house, 
when it was mutually agreed to suspend farther proceedings, and re- 
fer the case to council, giving us an impression that Mr. S. would 
receive no answer from pew proprietors, especially too, as there had 
been no call of the pew holders, and still farther, as the matter was 
refered lo council. But in a few days after this mutual agreement to 
suspend proceedings, Mr. S. was served with a letter from pew pro- 
prietors in reply to the threatening note : at this we confess we were 
much surprised — it was evident that nothing could hold the deacon 
— but then the letter itself, its contents, this is worse than all. Ife 
runs thus. 

" In reply to the Rev. Mr. Sabine's letter, requesting us to express 
" our views relative to deacon Parker's standing and conduct in the 
" church and society of Essex Street, We, the subscribers, pew pro- 
*' prietors in the meeting-house, and legal voters in the congregation, 
" do hereby declare, that while we do not conceive ourselves author- 
" ized to set in judgment on an officer of the church, yet we know of 
*' no reason why deacon Parker should be removed, neither from the 
** office he holds in the church nor from the standing committee of 
" the congregation. We are not aware that the state of things at 
" Essex Street has been produced " by the management of deacon 
<* Parker, or that he has wished in any degree the direction and rule." 
*' And we are unable to approve of the spirit, or sanction the letter 
" of the Rev. Mr. Sabine's language, in which he requires that 
<< the direction and management of deacon Parker be totally reiin- 
*' quished." As deacon Parker is necessarily associated with others 
*' iu office, and is not empowered, and we believe has not desired to 
" do any thing without the co-operation of his colleagues, we do, 
" without any hesitancy, express our entire disapprobation of the act 
" of the Rev. Mr. Sabine in making this kind of application to us 
" respecting deacon Parker. In the present confused, and distracted 
" condition of our society, we also think it our duty to state, that our 
" own knowledge and observation compel us perfectly to agree in the 
" opinion which we understand has been expressed by one half of the 
" church, that the dissolution of the Rev. Mr. Sabine's connexion 
*' with us is indispensably necessary to the prosperity of our congre- 
*' gation, and we likewise sincerely approve of the advice given him 
" by the deacons to apply for his dismission from Essex Street church 
<•« and society." Signed by twelve subscribers. 

Boston, January 29, 1822. 
6 



42 Charges demanded. 

Glancing only for the present, at the breach of pledge in send- 
ing Mr. S. this letter, we proceed to remark upon its contents — It 
bears date the 29th of January, two days before thechuich meeting : 
it was put into the hands of the secretary on the 2d of February, two 
days after the church meeting, on which day it was received by Mr. 
S. The former of these dates, the 29th of January, probably the 
day it was written, and written by Mr. Melledge too, was a date sub- 
sequent to the deacons' agreement to meet the church, as advised by 
ministers to suspend the operation of said threatening note : and the 
latter date, the day on which it was ordered to be sent to Mr, S. was 
two days after the deacon had solemnly promised to commit all to 
the wisdom of council — The letter was not written by the pew pro- 
prietors, neither prepared by. nor with the consent or advice of, any 
quorum of them ; for they never had been in session, nor had their au- 
thority been obtained. It is a document prepared privately by the 
deacons themselves in Mr. Melledge's own hand writing, containing 
his and the deacon'^s private sentiments — It contains statements in Mr. 
Melledge's own hand writing which Mr. M. knew at the time of 
writing, and knows now, to be false : let him deny this if he can. No 
such statement would any one of the pew proprietors have written, 
except himself or the deacon. This paper was drawn up by Mr. M. 
and the deacon, in terms calculated to deceive the subscribers, and in 
order to obtain the names of some of them, they were deceived into d 
belief of things which Mr. M. knew to be false: let Mr. M. deny 
this if he can 5 we are ready to meet him with our witnesses. This 
paper contains another proof of the deacon's want of faith : he had 
agreed that Mr. S's. character should be tried, apart from the expe- 
diency of his dismission, and then, continues to use every art and 
means by which to get him dismissed, upon the ground of what he 
thinks to be expediency^ evading the ground he had promised should 
be taken. 

In about a fortnight after the choice of council, Mr. S. by two 
brethren of the church, as his agents, demanded a copy of the charges 
to be preferred on the coming session. He required these charges in 
writing* under the signature of Nathan Parker the senior deacon of 
the church ; he gave the deacon two or three days to prepare these de- 
maBded charges, and on the day appointed the two brethren called for 
them, but instead of the charges demanded, the following communica- 
tion was handed them. 

Messrs. M. and Y. 
" Dear Brethren, 1 

" Respecting the commuication which you made to us this morning, 
<' in the name and at the request of the Rev. Mr. Sabine, we consider 



Charges refused, 43 

« it sufficient merely to observe, that as the pastor and church have 
" called a mutual ecclesiastical council to inquire into the "difficulties" 
" that exist, " and give their advice in the case." We neither deem 
" it necessary nor feel ourselves authorized to take any other steps 
"involving the merits of these " difficulties," till the council is con- 
« vened ; nor are we willing to interfere in any way with the wishes 
" of the persons concerned, as expressed in their letter missive. We 
"suppose that the nature and extent of the existing "difficulties'' 
" will be shown before the council, in such manner as the council 
" may suggest, by those w ho, having decided that there are such " dif- 
" Acuities," united in calling a council and in asking their advice. 

" Praying that the Father of Lights may indue us all with heav- 
" enly wisdom, and overrule these " difficulties" for our good and his 
" own glory. 

" We are dear brethren, 
" Your's affectionately, 

" N. P. 

Boston^ Monday evenings Feb. 11, 1822. " J. M." 

When Mr. M. wrote this note he was in a dreadful tremour, things 
were come to a serious crisis, the deacon and himself had agreed to 
meet Mr. S. before council with charges, these charges of course 
were necessarily demanded, and justice could not refuse them. But 
after all the deacon's searching and drumming up, no charges can 
be made to appear : hence the confusion, ambiguity and concealment 
in this letter. Why could not the deacons at once have said, * We 
have no charges to bring against Mr. S. we decline all such attempts, 
and beg that he may be informed, that we withdraw from the com- 
bat.' This would have been manly, but then it would have super- 
seded the session of council, and Mr. S. would have triumphed over 
his adversaries, brothers B. and M. and J. would have had to recal 
their boastings, and their swellings must have gone down in shame. 
The deacon was pretty well assured, that he had influence enough in 
the coming council, to corrupt or deceive them, when they should 
meet, if not before, and therefore they must come together, and Mr. 
S. must be held in abeyance till their session. But let us just look 
at this piece of composition — " We neither deem it necessary nor 
" feel ourselves authorized to take any other steps involving the mer- 
" its of these " difficulties till the council is convened." Will the 
deacon and his colleague just step out now and inform you. Mho took 
from them the ffM^Aorif?/ to give a copy of charges, when they had 
premised solemnly to meet their minister and impeach him before 
eouncil .►^ By what means, will they say, they were resisted in taking 



44> Important J\*ote, 

this step ? The deacon thougltt, a few days before, that lie liad a ri,^ht 
to " interfere," or he would not have sent the note of the 29tb Janua- 
ry. What a miserable evasion ! They add, *' nor are we willing to 
" interfere, in any way, with the wishes of the persons eonctrned, as 
" expressed in their letter missive." Not willing to interfere with 
the wishes of the persons concerned I ! why ! is not Mr. S. the prin- 
cipal, nay, the only PERSON concerned, and he wishes to have the 
charges, and the church, as a bddy. wisshes it too, v\hat interference 
then would this be with the wishes of persons concerned ? This is a siill 
more miserable evasion than the foregoing. The following clause is 
equally ambii^uous and shuffling. But it is still more to be regretted 
that the letter closes with a seemingly pious invocation to ''The 
Father of Lights" this is perfect profanity, but it accords with their 
brother Morton's trifling with the name of the " Dear Redeemer" as 
noticed before. It is hoped that Mr. Green will run his eye over this 
letter and call for an explanation; his deacons have their office 
character described in St. Paul's epistles to Timothy. 

Upon this refusal of charges Mr. S. applied to his reverend 
friends Messrs. J. D. and W. Mr. J. was the person addressed by 
Mr. S. to which application Mr. J. replies thus — 

« Feb. 13, 1822. 
*' Rev. Mr. Sabine. 
** Rev. and Bear Brother, 

" I received your letter of yesterday, and to day have conferred 
"with our brethren. Rev. Messrs. D. and VV. It appears to us by 
" no means unreasonable, that jour request should be indulged. If 
" there are definite charges to be brought forward, justice seems to 
" require that you be furnished with copies of them, and that season- 



" But while there is no question on this head, it may at the same 
** time be observed, that the council is invited, to inquire into the un- 
•' happy difficulties, and give advice in the case. Might it not then 
*' be expedient to rest until the council meets ? Assuredly that body 
'* will not leave you at manifest disadvantage, to be injured by suck 
<* confidence. 

" In the name of my Rev. brethren and my own, 

'* Your's respectfully, W. J. 

There is no indistinctness in this note; these three gentlemen had 
been present at the church meeting when council was resolved upon, 
they heard it distinctly stated what council was coming to do, they 
remembcfed, that Mr. S. declared, that he would stand before council 



Preparation for Council, 45 

lo be tried in the face of aecusations and charges, and for that pur- 
pose alone : hence they have *" no question" on the propriety of Mr. 
S. having his charges *• and that seasonably." They advise however, 
as these charges are withheld, that Mr. JS. repose confidence in the 
couDcil, and venture before his adversaries, not being forearmed, nor 
justly prepared. But this advice has proved unfortunate, though it 
was given, from the confidence they had, in the wisdom and purity of 
the council to be convened: this confidence, as reposed by them and 
by Mr. S. was not, however, so wisely and so purely received as might 
have been expected or desired. 

Be it remembered that, all the while these things were going on, 
the deacon's reverend son was constantly at his father's elbou, and 
as busy as may be, to and again from Dorchester, as busy as any law- 
yer ever was in preparing for a grand assize, in which he expected 
to be attorney general. Now, to the session of council on the I9th of 
February, 1822, with only one little thing by the way, which occurred 
through the medium of some members elect, and as it shows which 
way some members of council were looking, it will be well for us to 
stop a moment and look too — A few days before the session, Rev. 
Mr. Fay, one of the council elect, called on Mr. S. with a request 
from Dr. Woods, that the parties to be engaged in laying matters be- 
fore council, would have as much as possible their statements in writ- 
ing. To this arrangement Mr. 8. assented for himself; but slated to 
Mr. Fay, that the deacon had refused to give him (i\1r. S.) in wrKijg, 
or io any way at all, the charges to be preferred, in consequence of 
which it was impossible to say what he (\lr. 8 ) had to prepare. 
Mr. F. thought Mr S. ought to be furnished with the charges ia 
writing, and as he was going to call on the deaeon, on tlie same bu- 
siness, he would, at our minister's request, urge upon the deacon the 
necessity of making out, and giving in writinj*, said charges immedi- 
ately. But whether Mr. F. performed this office, we never knew, as 
Mr. F. never returned to Mr. S. with any report ; this neglect on the 
part of Mr. F. we think, was not to be justified, especially if Mr. F. 
bad learnt of the deacon, that no charges were to be brought : for 
then it was a duty he owed a brother, to have informed him, that he 
was to be ensnared in council, with a question quite foreign to that 
which he was engaged to meet. Mr. F. was employed on important 
business, nothing less than making arrangements for this important 
council : on his application to Mr. S. he learnt what the Letter Mis- 
sive meant, namely, that it was calling a council lo try the charac- 
ter of a brother minister, at least, he learnt, that Mr. S. considered 
that to be. its object, and Mr S's. conviction, in this case, was of 
some importance. But he, upon his application to the deacon, is 



46 Meeting of Council. 

told that this is not the object of council : for there were no charges 
to be preferred : whether the deacon did or did not tell Mr. F. what 
the council was called to do Mr. F. must know from the denial of 
charges, that Mr. S. was likely to be under a misapprehension in the 
matter, and therefore nothing can relieve Mr. F. from the duty he 
owed Mr S. in informing him of his discovery. Mr. Codman knew, 
before council came together, that the business, upon which Mr. S. 
expected to meet them, was not the business that would be attended 
to. Mr. C should have remembered how he bound his adversaries, 
by Qhtii'imng written charges, when he stood before council ; we re- 
member this, if he do not, and this is a proper time to quicken his 
memory. 



LETTER V. 

Coanci) sits, on the 19th of February, 1822— Organized, and Professor Woods Moderator— Obtruuon of 
the deacon's son— Mr. S's. apology— The deacon, by his son, states the case— Several members of the 
church address, on the deacon's side— Several members address, on the side of the church— Selections 
from Mr. S's. speech— The deacons' Letters advising Mr. S. to come so Boston— Young Parker, pro- 
ceeding to remark, is confounded by the sexcon, and silenced— Council adjourn to Marlborough Hotel 
—Return next evening with RESULT— Council rise. 

In detailing the proceedings of this council, it will be necessary, 
to give the preamble to the Result, with the circumstantial record in 
our possession ; for the whole of what was recorded by the scribe, is 
so brief, as to be destitute of information 5 indeed, it was not necessary 
to the Result, that t'».e whole of the proceedings should be copied. In 
this supplementary detail, we cannot vouch for exact expression, as 
the most of what we recorded was from short notes, taken at the 
tim«^, anfl the rest, from the best of recollectton. Deacon Parker's 
statement was a full hour in the delivery, and from a written draft, 
but, as we never possessed a copy, we can only, and that very briefly, 
rehearse the substance of it. Several members of the church address- 
ed the council, but these addresses need only be glanced at. Mr. Sa- 
bine occupied the floor for nearly three hours, his address was writ- 
ten, but not, with that compactness, and point, it might have been, 
had he known what he had to meet : but as his charges were refus- 
ed, he had chiefly to prepare a defence of his general conduct, and 
state to the council the difficulties he had to grapple with, in the 
maleconduct of the deacon. Short extracts, only, from this long ad- 
dress, will be necessary. With this preliminary, we proceed to the 
council. 

« AN ECCLESIASTICAL COUNCIL 
« Was convened at the Meeting House in Essex Street, Boston, on 
" the 19th of February by Letters Missive from the Pastor and Church 



Organization of Council and Obtrusion of the Deacon\ Son. 47 

« of Christ assembling in Essex Street * To inquire into the diflficul- 
« ties that exist, and give their advice in the case.' 

" The following churches were represented in Council by their 
" pastors and delegates : Andover, Church in Theological Seminary, 
" Rev. Leonard Woods, D. D. Pastor, Deacon John Adams, delegate 5 
" Dorchester, Second Church, Rev. John Codman, pastor. Brother 
"Mather Withington, delegate; Salem, South Church, Rev. Brown 
*' Emerson, pastor, Deacon Richard Chipman, delegate; Milton, 
"First Church, Rev. Samuel Gile, pastor. Deacon Isaac Tucker, del- 
"egate; Charlestown, First Church, Rev. Warren Fay, pastor, 
" Brother Stevens Hay ward, delegate ; Braiutree, First Church. Rev. 
" Richard S. Storrs, pastor. Brother Asa French, delegate ; S^ilem, 
" Tabernacle Church, Rev. Elias Cornelius, pastor. Brother William 
" Treadwell, delegate; Dedhara, South Church, Rev. William 
" Cogswell, pastor. Brother Isaac Gay, delegate. The Council was 
" organized, by choosing the Rev. Dr. Woods, Moderator, and the 
" Rev. Warren Fay, Scribe, and the Rev. R. S. Storrs, Assistant 
" Scribe. The Council were then led in prayer by the Moderator." 

Deacon Nathan Parker, as he was out of health and very infirm, 
requested that the council would permit the Rev. David Parker 
(son of the deacon,) to make his communication to the council. This 
request was advocated by Rev. John Codman. To this Mr Sabine 
rose to object. Mr. S. admitted that Dn. P. needed assistance, but 
that his brother deacon, Mr. Melledge, (with some other members of 
the church,) was the most proper person to help Dn. P. Mr. S. 
stated that he came to that council alone, he had no attorney or 
agent to assist him, but what the case itself furnished — Dn. P. had 
the same help, and therefore he, (Mr. S.) thought that Dn. P. and 
himself were upon equal terms. But Mr. S. objected to David P. as 
an improper person to meddle with the matter. Mr. S. thought he 
might be able to defend himself against all that Dn. P. and his 
friends in the church might bring against him, but that he was not 
prepared to meet the eloquence, the talents, ihe representations of 
the deacon's reverend son, he therefore begged the council would not 
admit Dn. P. to speak to the council but by his colleagues in the 
church. The council, however, assented to the deacon's request and 
denied Mr. S. his. Mr. S. reluctantly yielded by saying that he had 
come there in the fullest confidence of having justice done him by 
the council — he begged the council therefore to keep their eye upon 
the case, and not to suffer themselves to be mislead by David Parker. 

Before the business proceeded, Mr. S. begged to be permitted to 
address the chair, on a subject which he conceived was of importance 
to be noticed at the opening of the session. Mr. S. rose — 



48 Preliminary Address. 

" Mr. Moderator, 

Not liaviu^ been furnished with a copy of the charges to he pre- 
sented this day, I come before you under manifest disadvantages. 
AVhat 1 am to plead to I know not. — The " Difficulties," however, 
are to he laid to my ehareje. — Such difficulties, then sir, as are sup- 
posed to arise from my conduct, must have been in operation before 
the I3(h of November last, that being the dale, as it appears to me, of 
the resolution on the part of the deacon to dismiss me, from my 
charge. I submit to justice, and to your judgment, whether it will 
be right, on the part of my deacons, to mix up the " difficulties," 
with a variety of matters, which have proceeded out of the disorders, 
attendant on the proceedings of the cburch and society, since that 
date, the 13th of November. Mr Moderator, may I beg your dis- 
crimination here, as such a mixing up of matters, which ought to he 
kept separate, will expose me to still greater disadvantage. The 
charges have been duly applied for, but actually refused by the dea- 
cons. Under ail these circumstances, 1 might have a claim to your 
compassion, but I only demand justice." 

The moderator assured Mr. S. that every proper attention would 
be paid to the whole of the case, and that Mr. S. might rest assured, 
the council would do every thing that was right Mr. S. sat down, 
declaring himself satisfied, that the council must do their duty, 

BE \CON PARKER'S STATEMENT OF THE CASE. 
The Bev. David Paiker, as agent for his father, opened the case, 
by sfrtting some circumstances relative to the rise and progress of the 
church and society. His father's acquaintance with Mr. Sabine, he 
said, was of recent date and came about accidentally. Mr. (deacon) 
Parker was in England, seeking a minister for the then destitute 
congregation of St. John's, Newfoundland, that Mr. S. was recom- 
mended to hirn by others, who were with Mr. P. trustees of the meet- 
ing-house there. That Mr. S. came out to St. John's, not under Mr. 
P's. patro5sage, but under the patronage of the trustees : that he Mr. 
P. continued but a little while in Newfoundland, after the arrival of 
Mr S. and coming lo thi-*, his native country, he had no expectatioii 
of continued connexion with Mr. S. except, that he had, with Mr. 
Melledge, engaged to see Mr. S. paid his promised salary for three 
years, from his settlement. He said, thai the coming of Mr. S. to 
Boston was altogether Mr. S's. own act, without the concurrence or 
advice of his father. Indeed, Mr. S. he said, bad determined to leave 
St. John's before he had consulted Mr. P. He produced a letter 
written by Mr. .S. immediately after the first fire, in which Mr. S. 
stated his determination lo leave St. John's, if possible, as he, Mr. S, 



Deacon's Statement, 49 

conceived, St. John's was in such a state of distress and danger, that 
the removal of his family from the place, was liis duty. This letter, 
stating this determination, Mr. P. considered as sufficient to prove, 
that as Mr. S. had determined to come to Boston, his coming could 
not be vvith Mr P's. advice. Mr. P. regretted, that the public was 
iimler an impression, that Mr. P. had advised Mr. S. to come to Q. 
and, that he had also promised him his patronage. But so far from 
this, Mr P. had never approved of his coming. And even, when 
Mr. S. had actually arrived in this town, Mr. P. never intended to 
have any connexion vvith him. Mr. 8's. preaching in B. was alto- 
gether without his concurrence. He observed, that some of the Bos- 
ton christian comniunty, had urged upon him and Mr. Melledge, the 
building of a meeting-house for Mr. S. hut ihat this he never intend* 
ed to do : the seeming success attending the labours of Mr. S, had 
nothing flattering in his view. He admitted, that he had attended 
Mr. 8's. ministry in Boylston Hall, and that he had joined the church, 
when gathered, but that lie was drawn into this, by the entreaty of 
some of Mr. S's. Boston friends, quite against his inclination. The 
building of the house of worship, too, was altogether contrary to his 
mind; that he was drawn on step by step, or he had never done it : 
he never had believed that Mr. S. could build up the society: and 
that he was not alone in this opinion, Mr. Winn and others had 
thought so, too. He admitted that he had spoken flatteringly of Mr. 
S's prospects and talents, because he wished to lay hold of whatever 
might appear favourable, but that at the same time, his fears over- 
weighed his hopes. 

Deacon Parker wished the council to know, that the history of 
Essex Street had fully justified these fears: the congregation had never 
flourished | the finances had never been encouraging — the pews 
had never sold — .Mr. S's preaching, was never liked by the peo- 
ple ; — the church had small additions, and those who were added to 
it, from time to time, were mostly females, and even the men, many 
of them, were persons, either young, or strangers, or of no standing 
in society. He would inform the council, likewise, that the princi- 
pal men in the society, making a majority in the church and congre- 
gation, were of the same opinion as himself. He added, that suck 
was the declining state of the finances, that unless Mr. S. were 
dismissed, all must go down, and defeat and ruin must ensue : all 
who had set out with Mr. S. had, or would, leave him ; from whence 
the council would see the pressing nature of the case, and advise 
Mr. S. to withdraw. As to charges against Mr. S. there was no 
intention on the part of the deacon, his father, to bring any, he him- 
self never knew, that any thing was intended agaius^ the charactep 
7 



50 Mdress of 

of Mr. S. The complaint, on Mr. S's. part, of the charges heing 
refused, was, he conceived, by no means in character with the busi- 
ness, on which the council was called ; the council had to look at 
the depreciated, and depreciating state of his father's property, and 
judge of the expediency of removing Mr. S. 

Mr. Melledge would give his testimony. He woald say, that 
his views were favorable to Mr. S's. character, and talents, he held 
him in esteem as a christian, and as a minister ; but upon the whole, 
he was constrained to fail in with the view given in Dn. P's. state- 
ment. 

Mr. J. M. remarked, that he had been induced to join the church, 
from compassion to Mr. S. and his family : he never thought Mr. S. 
would build up the society. He had been kind to Mr. S. and had al- 
ways given Mr. S. the best his house would afford, and was always 
glad to see him, but he thought Mr. .S's. natural disposition too cheer- 
ful, for a minister. He was disposed to join in the opinion of Dn. P. 

Mr. J. B. said, that he always thought Mr. S's. preaching too con- 
troversial, that he, Mr. S. insi-^ted upon some doctrines, particularly 
such as were in opposition to Unitarianism, vvith too much pertinaci- 
ty. He, Mr. B. thought it rather belonged to professors of college 
to defend the gospel, and thai Mr, S. had not leisure, nor any call, to 
compose, or preach sermons of such a character. Mr. S. had exposed 
himself to remarks by such preaching, and therefore it was his opin- 
ion, that Mr. S. could not build up Essex .Street. Mr. B. proceeded 
to remark upon the spirit of Mr. S's. doctrinal attachments, but the 
Moderator begged him to decline such remarks, as not tending to the 
object of the meeting. 

Here concluded the charges and complaints against Mr. S. — the 
four bretliren that follow are on the side of the church and pastor. 

Mr. A. M. said, that he had attended Mr. S's. ministry, from near- 
ly its commencement, in Boston. That he must declare his gratitude 
to God, for what he conceived a great benefit to him and his family. 
He had had a deal of intercourse with Hn. Parker ; he had always 
thought, that Dn. P. entertained a high opinion of Mr. S. Mr. M. had 
himself a high regard for Mr. S's. labours, believing, that himself 
and wife had been so benefited by them, as to be accounted worthy to 
join the church ,— they had joined the church, with the fullest confi- 
dence of Dn. Parker's strong attachment to Mr. S. this conviction 
arose, from the strong terms of approbation always used by the 
deacon, in regard to Mr. S. The same terms, he knew, both the 
deacons used constantly when in conversation, on the subject of Mr. 
Sabine's ministry, with other members of the church, besides himself. 
And he knew that some who had lately come to Boston, with recom« 



Church Members, 51 

menilations to another church, were induced to join this, from the 
strong terms in which the deacons had recommended the labours of 
Mr. S. He should protest against the minister's being removed, be- 
cause he had been induced to purchase a pew in the house, under the 
assurance of Dn. P. that Mr. S. was to be the preacher; if Mr. S. 
were removed, without just cause, he should consider himself and 
family injured. Mr. M. did not think, that any failure in the socie- 
ty, was owing to any defection, on the part of the minister; he 
thought, and he had opportunity to know, that the defection, was in 
the miscalculation and unhappy management of the deacon. To his 
certain knowledge, the dearness of the p<?ws, was a subject of great 
eomplaint. 

Mr. J. D. said, he felt pleasure, in being able to bear testimony, 
to the character and faithfulness of his pastor and minister. Mr. S. 
has been charged with preaching in a way too doctrinal, and contro- 
versial, but he, Mr. D thought, that the range of Mr, S's preaching 
included a great variety of the most important truths. That Mr. S. 
did not lay any undue stress upon the great doctrines. That he had 
marked, and himself had felt the eftect of such preaching ; it had 
been the power of God to salvation. Some things he observed had 
been said against his pastor's labours, in that they had not been suc- 
cessful, in bringing in the rich and the influential ; Mr. D. did not 
conceive, that even the Apostles, themselves, had divine influence at 
command, to convert whom they would ; he thought Mr. S. was not 
reprehensible on this head. The church he thought did prosper, un- 
der the divine blessing upon Mr. S's. labours — the society he admit- 
ted, did not prosper as might be wished, but the cause of this he 
knew, was in the bad management of its pecuniary and temporal con- 
cerns : which could not, he conceived, be reasonably laid to Mr. S'sr 
charge. 

Mr. T. E. said, that the prosperity of the church, and the faithful- 
ness of the minister, had been so asserted to him by the deacons, that 
he had been induced to attend at Essex Street, and, from personal 
satisfaction, he had at length joined the church. If what he had 
heard of the deacons' dissatisfaction were true, he was totally at a 
loss to reconcile it with what the deacons had so repeatedly said to 
him. Mr. E. could only account for this dereliction of principle, ia 
the character of the deacons, to an undue attachment to the world. 

Mr. W. Y. said, that the design of removing the minister, as de- 
clared by the deacon, came upon him very suddenly. From what he 
had seen in the church, he thought there could be no reason for such 
a measure. He saw at once, from the steps taken by the deacon, 
that the removal of Mr. S. was intended to be eflected, without any 



Bs^ Mxtracts from 

t-egard to church authority and order : the spirit and the love of the 
world, were so manifest, in the deacon's conduct and complaints, that 
be was fully convinced, the welfare of Christ's Kingdom and the 
ipread of vital godliness, were out of the calculation. He could per- 
ceive nothing in the deacon's drift, but a wi«»h to secure the property 
in the roeeting-liouse. It is true, he would acknowledge, he had heard 
something about faithful and close preaching, which, some said, 
couid not be found in that preaching we had al Essex Street. But 
iiothwithstanding all that he had heard about faithful preaching, he 
Was satisfied, that if Mr. S. could have sold the deacon's pews, at the 
high price set upon them, there had. on the part of the deacon, been 
no complaint of the minister's doctrine or duties. Mr. Y. said, that 
some professors of religion speculated in orthodoxy, as they did in 
mere worldly things ; they would try how religion \^ould do with 
the world, and just as far as it would pass with worldly men, they 
would stand by it, but no fartiier. Such professors he compared to 
the broad succulent leaves of a gourd, which could drink in the 
beams of the sun, softened with the dews of a summer-night, but the 
first frost would shrivel them all up. He was sorry such professors 
had come into Essex Street. Mr. Y. would have traced this spirit 
of worldly conformity, as he had witnessed its progress in the so- 
ciety, but, the Moderator thought, that no new light would be thrown 
on the subject. Mr. Y. therefore, declined further remarks. 

Mr. Sabine, opened his defence, by congratulating himself and the 
church, that their " affairs were in the hands of so sacred, and so 
experienced a body," as was then assembled ; and then proceeded to 
declare the object for which he had engaged to meet council, which 
We give in his own words, as addressed to the Moderator — 

" I am happy to see the usages of the church, in these days, in 
such perfect agreement with the early established usages <'f primi- 
tive ages» We learn from the recorded acts of Apostles, that there 
Were difficulties of considerable magnitude, existing in the church at 
Antioch ; about \i hich, there had been no small dissension and dis- 
putation. These differences the church could not settle, they a- 
greed therefore to refer matters to an assembly of the church at Je- 
rusalem, with Apostles and Elders. This council, the first we hear 
of convened for christian ecclesiastical purposes, was for the settle- 
ment of disputed points, and for the removal of difficulties : it was 
NOT for the removal of pastors, but for an inquiry into the ground 
and causes of their uneasiness. This, 1 perceive, by the document 
before me, is the designed object of this convention : " Voted unani- 
*' mously, that the pastor and church call a mutual ecclesiastical 
** council to inquire into the difficulties that exist, and give their ad- 



Mr, Sabine^ s Defence, 53 

« vice in the case." 1 hope, sir, that you will not consider me fas- 
tidious in this particular, or as seeming to obtrude my opinion on you, 
while I profess to wait before you, for your opinion to guide me. 
There is some necessity, however, for distinctness and precision here. 
From the first declaration of these difficulties, I have been called 
upon, in a very harsh tone, to ask my dismission, and threatened with 
it, whether 1 ask it, or not. To receive my dismission from the 
church, by this council, would he to receive final sentence ? but I 
have an objection, as a free man, to receive sentence, before I am tri- 
ed. I do not plead g«iilty to the charge, and, therefore, 1 demand a 
trial ; and to pass trial 1 have been soiicitious to stand before you." 

Mr. S. continued by laying before council the circumstances of his 
coming to this country, and the early history of the church and so- 
ciety ; of himself as a stranger he speaks thus — " Being, liowever, 
a stranger, and my knowledge of this country only by report, I must 
remain for some time ignorant of manners, customs and usages common 
to this people: nor could our common lans^uage, common origin, and 
common religion furnish a stranger with a correct view of local, or 
national prejudices : it may therefore be expected, that I may have 
fallen into some mistakes; that 1 may have taken some unjustifiable 
liberties ; and, that 1 may have retained some practices and man- 
ners, not allowed or approved of in this region. 1 am willing to ac- 
knowledge this ; and I am more than willing to beg forgiveness, if I 
have erred in these particulars, provided such errors and mistakes 
have really wounded the feelings of good men and good citizens." 
Mr. S. went on to show the way in which the deacon came into pow- 
er, and the early bad effect of his management, as it appeared in the 
building of the house, and in the settlement of the society, particular- 
ly the 25 per cent, upon real cost, and the unfaithful way in w hick 
he gave, or pretended to give, the control of the house to the church. 
Mr. S. gave some specimens of his exceptionable preaching, and 
showed how the deacon had wavered and doubled on such subjects ; 
that preaching, which would produce the 25 per cent, and raise the 
office of deacon high, was the preaching to be prized, and support- 
ed, at Essex Street. Upon coming to the period of strife and disor- 
der, as appeared in the early attempts to dismiss the minister, Mr. 
S. addresses the chair thus — 

" We have now arrived at a momentous period in the history of 
Essex Street church. The period, now before us, is that in w hich 
the dismission and removal of the minister is contemplated by Mr. 
Bean, and resolved upon by deacon Parker I make use of the name 
of deacon Parker, now singly and alone, not because I am lost to ibat 
veneration due to old age; — not because 1 forget his works of faith 



04 Extracts from Defence 

and labours of love ; — not because I wish to make him responsible 
for every thing done in this case by others : but because he has so 
much in this case acted singly and alone, in his own name : — because 
he has taken upon him a power and authority, above every one in 
the church, as if he were the great proprietor of church and minis- 
ter ; and, because ail those who have made deacon P. an instrument 
for th<?ir use, as well as those who have been instruments for the 
deacon, have taken his name into their employ, to give entity and 
validity to their proceedings. And here, sir, permit me to observe 
too, that the cause for which I plead is above every other considera- 
tion, and every name that is named. The cause, sir, for which I 
plead — the cause is divine, it is that of the church for which Christ 
shed his blood. I do not stand here to ask of you to advise the church 
to give their minister a good salary, or to augment what he already 
has, or that you would defend him and his fanrily from oppression 
and violence : but I stand forth to beg in the name of our Lord and 
Master, that you will look upon the affliction of His church ; and 
that you will take into consideration the ** diffieullies" with which 
she is perplexed and endangered. In this pleading, the names of 
men, whether old or young, rich or poor, high or low, are nothing; 
my cause is every thing. In this cause I wish myself to be lost, all 
that is personal, and merely my own, let it sink too, and be lost be- 
fore the cause and cross of our Divine Redeemer." 

Mr. S. laid before council documents, in the hand writing of the 
deacons, proving, to demonstration, their duplicity, and violence. He 
offered to council, also, living, oral witnes«ses, in farther proof of the 
allegations. The matter, of the deacon's denying his having given 
advice upon our minister's coming to Boston, must be given, as it was 
laid before council, especially as council had been told by young 
Parker, that his father never had given such advice, and that his 
father had always disapproved of his coming to this country, &e. On 
this article the address is as follows — 

" The ruin of my good name was the great object ; and means were 
to be used to prove that the deacons did not hold me in esteem. You 
see, sir, the great object resolved upon, by the deacon, my expulsion^ 
and to effect this the forge is in high requisition : things must be made 
and fitted to this enterprize. An idea had prevailed in this region, 
that I came from Newfoundland to this country under the patronage 
of deacon Parker and Mr. Melledge : and I always thought so and 
said it too. But there was now a necessity for destroying this im- 
pression, the public must be told, that I did not come to this courdry 
thus patronized. At this U»ne I heard repeatedly, that deacon Parker 
denied his patronage and advice to have been given on that occasion. 



Curdinued, - 65 

This denial, I considered to be mere hearsay talk, and declared my full 
persuasion, that the deacon had never himself denied ihe fact. Dur- 
ing the progress of this unhappy difficulty in the church, the female 
members of the church and society wrote and sent a note of remons- 
trance to deacon Parker, to which the deacon replied in soft and 
seemingly tender terras, with great concern for the *• glory of God," 
and the building up of his church. This letter to the sisters, in re- 
ply to their's, concludes with these words. " As I have been inlorm- 
" ed it is a general opinion that deacon Melledge and myself advised 
" Mr. Sabine to come to Boston. 1 wish distinctly to say this was 
'*not the fact." This document was not shown to me, nor its con- 
tents detailed, till nearly a month after it came from the hands of the 
deacon ; it was known to some, that there was that spirit manifested 
in this letter, under the deacon's own hand, that would deeply wound 
both him and me too : it was therefore long concealed from me. But 
as this denial of his patronage in the hands of his agents was operat- 
ing to my injury, it was thought necessary to show this letter to me. 
I confess, I was much surprised to see this declaration involving the 
reputation of Mr. Mtlledge also, under the signature of deacon Park- 
er, especially as I thought 1 had reason to believe, that every step I 
had taken towards this country, was with the advice, and approbation 
of both these gentlemen, gentlemen to whose plighted friendship! had 
looked, from the moment I left my native shores. To read such a 
declaration from the pen of deacon Parker did cut me to the quick—- 
it wounded me to the soul ; I was distressed. 1 took it to my cham- 
ber, I prayed that if I had come to this country with a false impres- 
sion, I might be convinced of it^. I prayed, that if there were guilt in 
this business, it might not be found on the head of grey hairs. But 
how was I to obtain satisfaction on this head ? Sir, I thought I had 
letters, though I had reviewed none since I stepped on these shores. 
Why should I doubt of deacon Parker's patronage, when I had more 
than the promise of it, there was no need to look for the promise, 
when 1 possessed the thing ! But now it became necessary to look 
for the promise, and I found these three letters, among many others, 
as warm in expressions of friendship as I could have wished. 

You know, Mr. Moderator, my congregation in St. John's were 
burnt otit, and their ability to support their minister destroyed. My 
continuance there, at least for a year longer, must have been at the 
charge and expense of Messrs. Parker and Melledge, which expense 
they would have cheerfully borne, had 1 at all hazards chosen to have 
continued there another year. Whether it was advisable for me, 
with my family, to continue there any longer, was the question on 
which I consulted these two gentlemen, then residents in this city. 



56 J>/*ewfoundland Letters. 

The result of this correspondence I lay before you. — Tlie sheet I 
hold in my hand is filled up by the joint hands of Mr. Parker and 

Mr. Melledge. Mr. M. first writes thus '• Very dear friend — dea- 

" con Parker arrived last week from Philadelphia and is well — whe- 
« iher he will write you or not I cannot tell — he has seen Dr. Morse, 
" and has had considerable conversation with him, as it relates to your 
" intentions of leaving St. John's, and visiting this country — and has 
"promised to write you him*.elfou the subject — he, with ourselves, find 
" it a most delicate and difficult circumstance to give you that advice 
<' which we could most ardently wish was in our power to do. We 
" cannot blame you for wishing to leave St. John's, when we consi' 
<' der what a state this place has been brought to in consequence of 
" the late distressing fires, and the extreme poverty which must per- 
<' vade that part of its community who compose, and constitute the 
" means of your support — although many we are aware, will be dis- 
" poned to think hard of it — to leave them before they have got a 
" supply — yet your having given them oflBeial timely notice must in a 
"great measure exonerate you from just censure — at the same time 
« we shall be grieved to find if they should remain long destitute. 
" The idea of keeping a school must be the most prominent feature 
*' on your arrival here — and the distress of St. John's must be pleaded 
" as a sanction for your leaving that place, and removing hither with 
" your family — and these calamities so recently having taken place 
" will tend, no doubt, very much to excite the notice and the attention 
** of a great many — and furnish you with a claim on their sympathy 
<* and you vvilT not be here many days before you will he solicited 
** to appear in public in some of our first pulpits— and may a gra- 
** cious God attend your subsequent steps and give you a token of 
*' His divine approbation, and make you a blessing to our American 
*' Israel — there is much to be done here — and great things are doing 
" in one place and another in this land. We do not recommend your 
" attempting coming except by some direct opportunity, as you have 
" no idea of the great expense and trouble you will be subject to if by 
" the way of Halifax — I roust not add as deacon Parker must have 
" room to say a little." (Signed) James Melledge. — Deacon Parker 
writes thus, " My dear friend, The foregoing must be considered as 
" our joint letter which is what seems the most suitable for us to say 
<« — I have been over and conversed with Dr. Morse on your coming 
*' to this place, and circumstanced as you are we cannot blame you. 
*' He has promised to mention your coming to some persons who may 
"he able to assist to collect a httle on your arrival, and we hop© 
" something may finally be done in the ministry to promote your sup- 
" port. You will have abundant invitations to preach for other mini 



Extracts continued. 57 

*' isters, but that will not support your numerous family. You will 
" please to remember me to your family and all friends. I trust the 
** Lord will provide for the little flock that are left. Your's with 
<' much esteem. (Signed) N. Parker. 

" These two gentlemen had consulted Dr. Morse on the subject, as 
you perceive by deacon Parker's letter. Dr Morse, therefore, writes 
on the subject, thus — " My dear sir, I have been waiting for the re- 
" turn of deacon Parker, that he Mr. Melledge and myself might have 
" a consultation on your various letters. He has lately returned — . 
" the intended consultation in full has not been had. — The above gen- 
*• tlemen will have written you fully by this opportunity their views. 
*^ I have but a moment's time allowed me to write — and can only say 
" in one word, that I feel all you could wish me to feel for you and 
*'your family, on account of your late afflictions — and in reference to 
" your removal to this place, I shall be ready to act the part of a 
'' friend to you, and do what I can to make you and your's comforta- 
^'ble and happy. — VVe shall make all the preparation practicable 
'' for you. My best wishes. Truly your's. (Signed) Jedediah 
" Morse." 

" Now, sir, I took this for '*■ advice" and for promise of a welcome 
and patronage, and I found on ray arrival as much of this welcome, 
and more, than I had expected. I freely admit, that the deacons did 
not send direct for me, upon hearing of the afflictive fires ; I do not say 
that they promised to support me, if I would come. To have called 
me away from St. John's thus, would have been an unkind act towards 
that afflicted church. To have invited me up, before i had express- 
ed my own views, would have looked like an artifice to draw me a- 
way from a place, wherein they were pledged to support me for an- 
other year, to a place, wherein they were under no obligation to sup- 
port me. They had engaged to see me paid 200 pounds sterling for 
three years, year by year in St. John's, not in Boston. To do this ia 
St. John's they renewed their promise, if I should choose to stay the 
following year : but, if I chose to come to Boston, they were relieved 
from that obligation. I did prefer coming to Boston, and on this 
measure I conceived I had their full opinion and candid advice, as 
you have heard in the letters. The letter of mine, produced by Mr. 
Parker, was written immediately after the first fire. 1 could have 
had at that time no advice, because there bad been no lime to send it 
to me. No stress can be laid on that letter, for this reason. And al- 
so after that letter was written, I concluded, notwithstanding all in- 
conveniencies and dangers, to stay with the afflicted people through 
the winter, and share with them, in all their trials. As soon as the 
winter broke, I conferred with these gentlemen again, and after stat- 
8 



58 Extracts continued, 

ing to them the view of things, as thej then appeared, they gave the 
advice, as you have seen by the tJiree letters just read. It is really a pi- 
ty, that such attempts should be made to make a plain ease difficult, 
and to justify, what every body must at once see, to be wrong. 

"1 should have hoped after a partial — a full developement of these 
letters, there would have been no attempt to justify the declaration 
in the answer to the " Female Remonstrance ;" but as there has been, 
I beg to inform this council, that I had the promise of the deacon's 
patronhge, before 1 left London, should it be necessary for me to 
leave Newfoundland, as a place unfavourable to my support and com- 
fort. 1 have a letter now before me, in which my coming to this 
country under their patronage was agitated before the dreadful fires, 
during the summer which succeeded the winter of scarcity and fam- 
ine. 1 have also witnesses present to declare, that my coming to 
this country, under the deacon's patronage, was the subject of his 
frequent boast in Boston ; and that he continued to boast till it he- 
came necessary, for my expulsion, to deny it. If you say that dea- 
con Parker is an old man, and his memory fails him, I say I know 
it, but how came he to forget it just now, and how came deacon Mel- 
ledge's memory to fail him too, he is not impaired by old age. Yes 
deacon Melledge should remember, how many assurances of his kind- 
ness he sent me down from Boston to St. John's to comfort me and 
my family, in that dreary abode he should remember, that when he 
had written many a long epistle, his heart was not so told out, bat 
something more must be written upon the envelope of the packet. — 
" To morrow, says he, is the sabbath — I wish I could see you mount 
" to-oKirrow, Park Street pulpit — I think you would be pleased, and 
"I am fully persuaded, many — very many in Boston too — and none 
^' more than your humble servant — 1 wrote you last night, and there- 
*' fore have nothing more but to reiterate my sincere regard to you 
*' and all yours." Now, brother Melledge says, like Peter, *'l 
know not the man." i leave this matter to the judgment of the 
council. 

*' Upon ascertaining the fact of deacon Parker's denying his advice, 
on my coming to this country, 1 must say, I was much grieved, not 
only because it tended to injure me, but because it became my duty, 
as his pastor, to reprove and admonish him on the subject. As he, 
and deacon Melledge were joined in this affair, I addressed a letter 
jointly to them both. In which 1 deplored these defections of char- 
acter, and urged upon them repentance and return to duty." 

The letter on this occasion is before the reader, and how it was 
taken up by Mr. Codman; we therefore proceed to follow Mr. S. in 
his statement before council. Mr. S, was particular, in detailing the 



Extracts continued. , 39 

doings of church meeting, when council was resolved upon, at which 
meeting, were present, three reverend gentlemen of Boston, and two 
lay gentlemen of their congregations. This meeting, as we have 
seen, was on the 31st of January, 1822, and was stated to council 
thus — 

" Mr. Moderator, This council must be informed, that at this said 
meeting there was a hard struggle, on the part of deacon Parker, to 
bring his favourite question before this council, i. e. fVhether it 
would not be expedient to dismiss the minister : this is what he has 
been set upon from the first declaration of hostility, this dismission 
must be either, by mutual, or ex-parte council. But, Rev. sir, this is 
Bot the question for the determination of which, 1 stand before you. 
You have to look at and into difficulties, unhappy difficulties, exist- 
ing amongst us, and if you find those difficulties at my door, if they are 
found to consist in high crimes and misdemeanors, on my part, in my 
having departed from the faith and doctrine professed on my settle- 
ment, in a train of imprudences and gospel disgracing follies ; then, 
my dismission is inevitable, and the deacon's point is gained. But 
if, upon investigation and trial, it should be found that I am as wor- 
thy of your Right Hand, as I was considered to be on the day of my 
installation, then my continuance is as inevitable. The expedien- 
cy of my dismission is not the question, but the justise of it. And 
SIR, TO Justice I appeal. 

" Mr. Moderator, Will you permit me to hold your patience in re- 
quisition a few moments longer, while we look at the doctrine of ex- 
pediency. It has been already concluded by some, that it is expedi- 
ent for me to be dismissed from my charge. But why is it expedi- 
ent } The case stands thus. Deacon P. built a house for my church 
and congregation, they came in and occupied it, but it turns out at 
length, that this people do not purchase and hire the pews, so as to 
furnish deacon P. with the interest of his money, as he expected. I 
must then be dismissed ; it may be expedient in the estimation of the 
deacon, but is it just .^ The deacon says that the doctrines I preach 
are offensive, or the v.ay in which they are preached is offensive 
and therefore the pews do not go off: but, sir, the doctrines I preach, 
raised a congregation to such a state of perfection, as to induce the 
deacon to build this house; he theu thought such doctrines, and such 
preaching, too, calculated to raise and support a congregation. If 
this were a mistake of the deacon's, surely I was not accountable. 

" Butthedoctrineof expediency,w ill stand on very precarious ground, 
in the case of Essex Street. There aie no data with deacon P. and 
his friends. One of deacon P's. friends and advisers said as this con- 
gregation was rising in Boylston Hall, " There is but one man in a 



60 Extracts continued. 

hundred could raise a congregation in Boston, and Mr. S. is that 
man." Now this same gentleman thinks my preaching would do het- 
ter in New York. Deacon P. heard the sermon I preached at Mai- 
den, he highly approved of it, and was among the first to ask a co- 
py for the press ; now he says that sermon has destroyed the reputa- 
tion of the house, and spoilt the sale of pews. Mr. Morton was so de- 
lighted with this said sermon, that as soon as he had read it he join- 
ed this church : indeed, so confirmed was he in the persuasion, that 
the more it was known, the more it would build up our society, he, 
at his own risk, printed a second edition of it. Deacon Melledge too, 
thought the republication of that a necessary thing for the confirma- 
tion of the truths, to be still held at Essex Street. Just before the 
breaking out of this disturbance, Mr. Morton told me, that the 
preaching at Essex Street was such as must build up the society : 
but since the rupture he has sagely remarked, that he foresaw this 
disturbance some months before it broke out. Here is a man who 
can see distinctly, that this doctrine, so preached, is calculated to 
build up Essex Street, and at the same time, he can see that it is cal- 
culated to pull it down. Now gentlemen, with such men as these, 
where will you fix the doctrine of expediency, as it relates to Essex 
Street ? 

"Can it be expedient to do any thing, which, when attempted, will at 
once appear wrong, and carry its own defeat with it ? It is expedi- 
ent for me to leave Boston, and go to New Yor^ ; well, I go to New 
York — and what am I to do there ? Why you can preach and raise 
a congregation as you have done in Boston. — Suppose I do — this is 
doing nothing ; because I have done so in Boston, and then it is ex- 
pedient to leave such labour. — Besides, with what confidence can I go 
lo New York, and attempt to raise a church, when after all a dissat- 
isfied person rises up, makes a disturbance and so proves, that it is 
expedient for me to go to Baltimore, and so on, till I am pushed by 
expediency to the precipice of Cape Horn. 

"No, sir, at my time of life, with a wife and nine children, (as dear 
to me as their's can be to any in this assembly,) I am not prepared 
to adopt any such expedients, to gratify a few restless and time serv- 
ing men, too often found in the gospel church. Besides, with what 
character could I wander about thus: some men think that change 
of pursuit, or change of mind, is enterprise: it may be so, in some 
cases, but I have no inclination to try it in this ease, for I know in 
most eases it is the restlessness of foUy, and the enterprise of mad- 
ness: if I cannot, under the divine blessing, keep up the congrega- 
tion I have raised in Boston, how can I expect to raise a new one in 
Na^;^' York, or elsewhere ? But I am told I should have more comfort 



Extracts continued. 61 

in N^ew York, my doctrine would be better received there : But Rev. 
sir, when 1 entered into the service of our Heavenly Master. 1 did 
not stipulate for comfort, but for labour; no, nor for success, for ihis 
I had to watch and pray ; and I have laboured ; ray success is before 
you, and my record is on high. As to wa^es and comfort in my 
work, I do not come here to compbin. My Master has given as large 
wages as I could have expected : and comforters 1 have had many ia 
Boston : did not the kind people in Boston assist to support my fam- 
ily while I laboured at small, or without, wages, and shall I be so 
, ungrateful as to go to New York ftr comfort ? But they want the 
gospel I preach, in Boston, much more than they do, in New York, 
where then is the expediency, where then is the righteousness of go- 
ing away from where I am now ? A case of Expediency is perhaps 
as easy as any to get up. Let a few men take offence at the minis- 
ter, or at bis doctrine, and they at once begin to circulate insinua- 
tions, or to hold private or partial meetings. Let them make a par- 
ty and the minister's comfort and usefulness are spoiled ; his hope of 
success is at an end ; and then it becomes expedient to dismiss him, 
and elect another, who may be removed in a year or two, by the 
same or similar means ; and so upon this principle half the minis- 
ters in this state, may be removed ; and indeed it is a well known 
and to be lamented fact, that many have been so removed. This is a 
case, this council will no doubt duly consider." 

Mr. S. goes on, to set before council, the Moral Principle upon 
which the visible practice of the deacon and his agents, stand expos- 
ed to view ; he appeals to the Moderator, in strong terms. 

" Sir, the tree that has borne this bitter fruit must be an evil tree. 
Yes, Mr. Moderator, there is some deadly thing to be traced out; ef- 
fects so dreadful cannot spring from a trifling cause : so much wrong, 
and wrong doing, cannot but spring from a wrong principle — this is 
the great "difficulty." 

''If these difficulties can be traced up to my conduct — if you can find 
me chargeable with the cause of all this stagnation, or turmoil — all 
this murmuring and contention — all this uproar and confusion in the 
church, after such a time of peace and prosperity — I say if you can 
find this at ray door, there need be no talk or contrivance about send- 
ing me to New York: I am no more fit to labour in New York than 
I am in Boston : you ought, you must silence me forever as a preach- 
er — send me to New York and with a good character too ! with re- 
commendations as a preacher of righteousness I No, sir, you cannot 
do any such thing. And as to their giving me l©00 dollars to go a- 
way, they might have saved their money, and have gotten rid of me 
too. If all this can be traced up to me, and to the conduct, of which 



62 Extracts continued. 

Mr. Melledge says, in the deacon's letter, they had so often com- 
plained, what need could there be for the deacons to go this rounda- 
bout — this disorderly way to dismiss me. They had nothing to do 
but to have called together the church and society in due form, and 
to have laid the matter before them ; and all would have been done 
in a proper manner, and my dismission would have followed of 
course. But they do not, as we have seen, proceed in this way — they 

take the most unnatural, and unrighteous steps that can be taken 

and what is my conclusion } Why. that theirs is an unrighteous cause, 
just such a cause as are the measures they take to support it. It is 
an established maxim with me. That there is no doing a wrong 
THING IN A RIGHT WAY. Set about doiug a wrong thing, and the 
means adopted will be wrong, and when once gotten into the wrong 
way it is difficult to get right again." 

Mr. S. deprecates the disadvantageous circumstances, under which 
he is called to stand before council, but appeals to council again, for 
the last time. 

" But hither, sir, I am come : under all these manifest disadvan- 
tages, I commit myself to your faithfulness as in God's stead, whose 
servants you are. 

" Upon a review of the whole of this business, and of the circum- 
stances which are said to have led to it, 1 am fully convinced, that 
there is great cause for humiliation before God. As far as any thing 
I have said or done involving this, I wish to be convinced of it : I 
wish to be reproved and corrected. If 1 have said or done any thing 
wounding to the Christian feelings of any good man, I am sorry for 
it : and I am prepared to ask forgiveness. 1 will not be backward 
to meet any brother half way, who may in judgment have differed 
from me, but is now^ willing to be reconciled. I have aimed at re- 
conciliation again and again, but have failed. But upon gospel 
grounds I am still willing to meet any brother. 

" Brethren of the council, w hen you retire to deliberate, there may 
occur some difficulties, even then, which may be perplexing. There is 
one, of which, I must apprise you now. You will be liable, from one 
of your members, to receive ex-parte evidence, such as has not ap- 
peared in open court : one of your number has prejudged the case ; 
he should therefore I think have been a witness, rather than a judge, 
but I commit my cause to your wisdom and justice. 

" Should you find the difficulties and the guilt at my door, make no 
difficulty of disposing of me, look not at my personal lot, nor at my 
family ; relieve the church of God at once of this stumbling block; 
the good of the church must be every thing, " for what is the chaff to 
the wheat, saith the LORD." But if you find me still worthy of your 



Extracts concluded. 63^ 

fellowship, and you can still acknowledge me as a fellow-labourer 
in the vineyard of the Lord; if your wisdom should lead you to es- 
pouse the cause and the church, of which I am the unworthy minis- 
ter, do not entangle yourselves with what may be the probable lot of 
a church and minister expelled, from their house of worship : think 
not on the sufferings, the hardships, the poverty which may com© 
iipon us in a state of exile. We have, as a church, endured hard- 
ness, and if it be the will of our Divine Master, 1 hope we shall bow, 
yet, to the yoke. If we must go into exilement, you will go with us 
in spirit, and attend us with your prayers — and all shall be well. It 
is through much tribulation we are to enter the kingdom of God. 
But none of these things move me ; neither count I my life dear unto 
myself, so, that I may finish ray course with joy, and the ministry, 
which I have received of the LORD JESUS, to testify the gospel of 
the grace of God. — Brethren and sisters of this church : JESUS 
CHRIST is the same yesterday, and to-day, and forever. Let us go 
forth therefore unto Him without the Camp, bearing his repronch,^^ 

Thus closes Mr. S's. defence ; the deacon's son rose to remark, 
from a volume of minutes he had taken, on the last speech — 

He stated first, that the addition of 25 per cent, upon the cost of 
the house, was a necessary measure, for securing the property of the 
persons who had subscribed to the building ; that it was a measure, 
advised by the wisest men who had been concerned in the house, and 
that it was thought, by them, to have been a measure necessary for 
securing success. He declared, however, that the measure was mere- 
ly nominal, that it was not designed, nor calculated, to succeed for a 
purpose of speculation, and that it had had no bad effect upon the 
sale of pews, nor had it rendered the letting of pews at all difficult; 
DO persons, he said, had refused to hire seats on this account, nor had 
any been induced to leave the society for that reason — 

The sexton, Mr. Williams (a member of the church) rose to beg 
permission to speak to Mr. P's. question. He said, that he had been 
employed as an agent for the deacons, for many months, to let pews 
in the meeting-house, and eight out of ten applicants, for pews, had 
refused to hire on account of the enormous price ; he was certain, 
from what had fallen under his observation, that a great number of 
people had been kept from the meeting, and many others had beea 
driven away, only on account of this, what he deemed, indiscreet 
measure; He observed farther, that deacon Parker would not suffer 
him to let any pew, but at the full price, but deacon Melledge, au- 
thorized him to let them at any price, suited to the applicants. This 
latter measure, he stated was no remedy, because the pews were 
thereby let at no standard price, so that many were disgusted and' 



§4! \ Foung P. confounded. 

diseonfented. Mr. W. had no doubt hut, if the pews had been pro- 
perly valued, that he could have filled the house with slated hearers, 
but as it was, there was no hope of it. 

Mr. Parker would have remarked on other parts of Mr. S's gp^ech, 
but the Moderator urged him to desist, as he thought such remarks 
would tend to no real developement of the matter in hand : the dea- 
con himself too, thought the remarks might as well terminate. At 
ten o'clock the council resolved to retire to the Hotel to deliberate. — 
It seems they continued in debate, with but little intermission, till the 
next day. Now what follows shall be in the words of the 

RESULT. 

< Deacon Nathan Parker, as he was out of health, requested that 
^ the council would permit the Rev. David Parker to make his com- 

< munications to the council, and the council assented. Deacon Par- 

* her then proceeded by his assistant to make a statement of the diffi- 
« culties. All the brethren of the church, who were disposed, gave 
« their statements written and verbal. The Rev. Mr. Sabine alsa 

* made his statement to all the extent he required. 

' After a full and attentive hearing of all the parties and individu- 

* als concerned the council voted to adjourn to the Marlborough Ho- 
« tel. 

* Before pmceeding to deliberate the council were led in prayer by 

* the Rev. Mr. Emerson. After prayerful and free deliberation, 

* voted that a committee of three be chosen to draft a result ; and 

* chose the Rev. Dr. Woods and the Rev. Messrs. Fay and Storrs this 

* committee. 

< The committee performed the service assigned them, and the 

< council unanimously came to the following Result. 

' This Ecclesiastical Council would be chargeable with great inat- 

< tention did they not perceive the difficulties of the case, which they 

< have been called to consider ; and they would be chargeable with 
« great impiety did they not feel their need of wisdom from above in 
^ attempting to give the advice, which is expected of them. The sub- 
'jjeet which has been laid before them by the parties particularly 

* concerned in this result, respects the interest of the church, an in- 

< terest more important than any other, which can come before th© 
^ mind of man. 

' The Church is the object of God's everlasting love. The blessed 
' Immanuel redeemed it by his precious blood. He keeps upon it his 
' never slumbering eye. He extends oveir it his Almighty protection. 
' He designs all the contrivances of worldly policy and all the move- 

* ments of worldly power to be subservient to its prosperity. And his 



Result of CounciL 6^- 

gracious promise has secured to it an exalted and endless state of 
blessedness in the highest heavens. As ministers and followers of 
Christ we feel it to be our duty, as far as possible in this state of im- 
perfection, to regard the Church as it is regarded by him, who died 
for its salvation. Aud wc must beg leave to express it as the grand 
priuftiple, which ought lo regulate all the actions of our lives, and, 
especially our proceedings on this occasion, that the interest of 
Christ's spiritual kingdom is to be the first and highest object of our 
desires and our efforts , and that we cannot without violating our al- 
legiance to him suffer any personal or worldly consideration to be pufc 
in competition with it. On this subject the members of this council 
have but one mind; and we are happy in finding that this great 
Christian principle is suited to give a right direction to all our trans- 
actions. Whether we deliberate upon the ilifficalties, the various, 
and perplexing, and painlul diffieuities, which attend the subject now 
before us, or attempt by our fraternal advice to remove or diminish 
them, we are to fix our eye steadily on the real, spiritual welfare of 
Christ's kingdom. 

' It is perfectly obvious, that the same paramount regard to the in- 
terests of Christ's Church ought to have guided all the past mea- 
sures of this agitated church and of their afflicted minister. And we 
most earnestly desire, that they may be led to review with faithful 
self examination the scene of excitement and strife, through which 
they have passed, and endeavour to ascertain whether they have on 
both sides aimed at the great interests of the Redeemer's kiHgdom, 
and have sincerely and' with proper frequency lifted up their hearts 
to him with the pious desire, " Lord what will thou\\&ve me to do ?" 

' Our dear brethren, the pastor, and deacons, and members of this 
church would be more than men, if in such a state of things, they 
were in no danger of being misguided by a collision of personal in- 
terest, or by the strength of human passions. And although we are 
not called by the letter missive to hear any accusations from thent 
against each other and to sit in judgment upon them, we must sug- 
gest it as our serious opinion, that a single aim to promote the cause 
of Christ and to conform to his precepts and his example, would 
have preserved the members of this church from some obvious ir- 
regularities, with which they have been chargeable in the mode of 
their proceedings, especially in respect to church meetings ; and 
that the same principle would have preserved the Rev. Pastor from 
the severity and acrimony, with which in several instances he has 
remarked upon the motives and conduct of the deacons and others, 
whose long tried character raises them above suspicion. This gen- 
eral remark must suffice iu regard to this part of the subject. And 
9 



66 Mesult continued, 

< we regret that we have been constrained to say even so much as 

* this, and that we cannot review with decided approbation all the 

* transactions, which the parties have exhibited before us. 

' We cannot do justice to our own feelings without declaring the 
' high estimation in which we hold the ministerial character and 
' office. The Head of the Church has appointed ministers to be his 
' ambassadors, and has made our regard to them a test of our friend- 
' ship to him. We know too that the ministers of the gospel are at 
' all times, and in a very high degree at tbe present time, destined to 
' perform arduous labors, to encounter difficulties and hardships, and 
' to make sacritices. And though their Mork is on the whole the 

* most delightful and honorable of any on earth, yet they need the 
' sincerest and tenderest sympathy, and the firmest support. If then 
^ any men, any Christians should for slight reasons forsake their 
'minister, and from regard to any selfish interest, or under the influ- 

* enee of any unreasonable prejudice should adopt measures calculat- 
' ed to disturb his peace and to prevent his usefulness, they would be 
' guilty not only of cruelty to him, but of dishonor to their Lord. 

* These preliminary remarks are intended merely to introduce the 
' particular subject laid before this council. We have felt it to be a 
« happy circumstance, that we have not been called to consider any 
' accusations against the Christian or ministerial character of the 
' Rev. Mr. Sabine W^hen in addition to this, we recollect the va- 
' rioHs trials he has endured, the uncommon efforts he has made, since 
' he was invested with the sacred office ; when we recollect the cir- 
^ cumstanees in which he first came to this place, the hard struggle. 

* the sacrifices, the sufferings to him and his family, which have at- 

* tended his ministry here, and yet his success, though with a very dis- 

* couraging prospect at first in collecting a church and congregation, 
' and the various instances in which his labors have apparently been 

* accompanied with the saving power of the Holy Spirit, — when we 

* call these things to mind, we mingle onr congratulations with our 
< sympathies towards our Rev. Brother ; and we are ready to wish, if 
« it might be the will of God, that he might be the man to stand in a 
' permanent connexion with this beloved church and society, to 
' preach to them the unsearchable riches of Christ, and gather souls 
' into his kingdom. But here the council have been obliged to pause. 

' And the first qu<>stion, which has engaged their attention on this 
^ point, has been, whether there is a reasonable prospect, that the ex- 
' isting difficulties may be removed. 

' In most cases of difficulty in churches it is deemed best first to 
^ make a serious effort to reconcile contending parties, and to prevent 

* final separation. But when we take into view the peculiar nature 



Besult continued. 37 

« of the difficulties in this case, the character and circumstances of 

< the dissatisfied members, the almost unequalled contributions some 

< of them have made towards erecting the meeting-house, the control 
' which they must of course have over the property, and the full con- 
' viction and the firm determination, which they have expressed in 

* regard to this subject, — and when we bring before us afresh the feel- 

* ings, which the two parties have manifested towards each other, and 

< the extreme severity with which they have treated each other in 
' the presence of this council and previously, we are compelled unani- 

< mously to adopt the painful conclusion, that this is a desperate case. 

* that there is no prospect of removing the difficulties, which attend 

* the connexion between this church and their pastor. 

* As this council is requested by the Letter Missive not only " to 
' inquire into the difficulties," but '^ to give advice," we feel ourselves 
^ bound in duty to express our opinion as to the best course to be pur- 
' sued by the two parties. Now we hold it as a maxim of divine truth, 
( that a minister of Christ sustains a very endearing and momentous 

< relation to the particular church over which he is ordained, and 

< that no causes but those, which are very imperious, should be per- 

< mitted to interfere with that relation. But a minister of Christ sus- 
' tarns a relation still more sacred and more exalted — a relation to 

< the Great Head of the church and to the general interests of his 

* kingdom. And in our judgment cases frequently occur, as is admit- 
' ted in all our ecclesiastical proceedings, when this superior relation 

* to Christ and his kingdom 4t large requires, that the subordinate 

< relation of a minister to a particular, local church should be dissolv- 

< ed. In regard to such a case we think the grand inquiry is, in 

< what place has a minister of Christ the most inviting prospect of 

< usefulness ? Where can he do most to promote the salvation of sin- 

< ners, and the peace and enlargement of the Redeemer's Kingdom ? 

< In answering this inquiry in application to the present case, the 

< council have but one mind. We are fully persuaded that a minis- 

< ter of Mr. Sabine's character and talents, guided as we hope he \dll 
« be by Christian wisdom, has no reason to be discouraged as to the 
' usefulness of his future labours in the service of the church; but 
« that he has a prospect of greater usefulness in some other place, 
« nay in almost any other place than here, — when notwithstanding the 

< ardent and devoted attachment of a number of dear Christian 

* friends, all his exertions to promote the interests of this society and 
' to support his own beloved family must be made in circumstances 
« of the most chilling discouragement. And it is equally plain that 
' he has a prospect of far ^resiier personal comfort iu some other place 
' than here. The sincere friendship, therefore, which we feel for 



j68 Result continued. 

< our Rev. and beloved brother, leads us most devoutly to wish, that 

* he may labour in the holy ministry in some other part of Christ's 
' church. Thus a regard to the glory of the Savior and the interests 
' of his kingdom, as well as to the comfort and usefulness of Mr. 8a- 

* bine, leads us to give, and we do unitedly give the following advice 

* — namely : That Mr. Sabne request a dismission from his pastoral 
^ relation to this church. And as the case is we deem it altogether 
' advisable both as to his comfort and the welfare of this church, that 
^ he should do this without ilelay. 

'From the same regard to the interests of religion, to the wel- 
^fare of this church, and the happiness of their Rev. pastor, we 

* give our most serious and affectionate advice, that the members 
' of this beloved infant church freely and unitedly comply with 

* such request; and however heartrending the sacrifice may be 

< to some of them, that they be willing to do what mulliiudes are 

< called to do in this day of trial, to part with their beloved minister, 

* and in faith, and love, and prayer, to ^mmit him to the guidance 

* and blessing of Almighty God. We must say that the strong at- 

< tachmenl, which one part of the church have manifested to their 

* pastor, has gained for them a high place in our hearts. We prize 
'those Christians, who love and honour the servants of Christ, and 
f endeavour with meek and docile hearts to profit by their labours. 
^ The particular friends of Mr. Sabine are now called, as we think, 

< to perform a most selfdenying and painful duty. But we trust they 

* will not fail to consider how many and how powerful reasons urge 

* them to the cheerful performance. They have opportunity at this 

* critical juncture to contribute directly and in a high degree to pre- 
' serve the church from the most unhappy divisions. And if this be 
' done the council can indulge the pleasing hope of seeing the church 

* ere long in a state of increasing prosperity. But if the church is 
' rent asunder, the consequences to all concerned must be deplorable. 

' As an ecclesiastical council we wish the public to know> that in 
'these proceedings no accusations have been preferred against the 
' character of Mr. Sabine. Instead of impeaching him, his oppnsers 
. 'have in several instances expressed their confidence in his piety and 
^ his desire to be faithful in the ministry. In view of these circum- 
' stances and from all we have known of our Rev. brother's reputa- 
« tion and labours, and successes in the service of the church, we can 

* cordially recommend him as a minister of the gospel to the commu- 
' nity at large, and shall esteem it a privilege to perform towards 

* him ail the offices of brotherly kindness. 

* Taking into consideration the various sacrifices, which Mr. Sa- 
^ bine has made together with the circumstances of his family, this 



Result concluded. Cf 

< council think he is entitled injustice to some pecuniary eonsidera- 

< tion. And in ease our Rev. brother after serious deliberation shall 

< comply with the advice given him in this result, and incase such 

< compliance shall render it necessary for him to leave thi^ town, and 

< remove to some other field of labour, we do unitedly give the addi- 
« tional advice, that this church within a reasonable time slould £;rant 

< him the lull amount of what they contracted to give him as an an- 
' nual salary. [One thousand dollars.] 

< And now in conclusion permit us, Rev. and beloved, to say that 
'our hearts have been deeply distressed, while attending to this case. 
' We fear the gloomy train of events, which has taken place among 

* you, has been, and will be an injury to the precious cause of our di- 

* vine Lord; and that in many instances he has view ed them with dis- 
' pleasure. 

' We beseech the Rev. pastor and all the members of this church 

* solemnly to review what is past, and to labour by mutual confession, 
' mutual forgiveness, love, and prayer, to heal the wounds in their 

< own breasts and in the breasts ol' one another, and the Wounds in- 

< flieted by such unhappy oecurrenees on the cause of Christ, and 

< thus to prepare themselves for a meeting in the world of perfect, un- 
' interrupted, everlasting love. 

' Voted unanimously. — 



' LEONARD WOODS, Moderator. 



< WARREN FAY. Scribe. 

< RICHARD S. STORRS, Assistant Scribe. 

< Boston. Feb, 20, 1822. 

' A true copy from the original. — 

' Attest— WARREN FAY, Scribe.' 

LET I ER VL 

SeTiewof calling council— The deacon'i temptation— Objections to the council sitting in public— Re- 
view of proceedings under four articles— Reflections on rise of eouncil. 

We must now beg gentlemen, that you will return with us a step 
or two, and look at some facts and circumstances relative to the sit- 
ting of this council, and then we will review proceedings and result. 
The precise object for which this eouncil was called as agreed by 
all parties, can be no problem. Nothing can be more distinctly mark- 
ed, than the solemn agreement into which Mr. S, entered with the dea- 
con ; the church and the five visitors, being witnesses. Mr. 8. a- 
greed to stand trial ; for this purpose, alone, he would meet council. 
It is equally marked and distinct, that the deacon was brought into 
this agreement, itw7/i ^r^rt^ difficultij^ he \trj reluctantly yielded; 
this, the church and the five visitors, can witness.— Th© wish that 



70 Objection to Public Sitting, 

the deacon manifested to dismiss Mr. S. and the reluctance M'ith 
which he agreed to waive that measure, might naturally be expected 
to lay such a man, as the deacon, under strong temptation ; — tempta- 
tion, to depart from his agreement, and temptation, to return to his 
own desired measures. We have seen him acting under this tempta 
tion ; his propensity is visible. Upon his agreement to charge and 
try Mr. S, he makes no provision for such action, he still tries, with 
all his agency, to get Mr. S. to ask his dismission, or to force dis- 
niii^sion upon him. Neither will he allow Mr. S. to prepare for tri- 
al, he will not give the bill of iuflictment, he will not give the char- 
ge >^ ; this refusal of charges, he flatters himself will divert the pro- 
ceedings, from the accredited object. As the hour advances, the 
question begins to be agitated, ' ff^here^ in what place, is the council 
to assemble, and proceed to business?^ A member of council elect says, 
< In the vestry^ — ' fVitk closed or open doors P * Why, it had better be 
kept from the world as much as possible ; fhere is no need of mak- 
ing the thing too public.^ But Mr. S. says the trial cannot be too pub- 
lie ; he wishes it to be in the meeting-house, and before all men. At 8 
o'clock on the morning of sitting, Mr. S. demands of Mr. Melledge, 
where preparation is made for the session } Mr. M. replies, ' That 
must be left to counciV Mr. S. declares to Mr. M. in the most ex- 
plicit terms, that things have been too long in secret, and that now they 
shall come to the light, and that if the session is not in public he, (Mr. 
S.) will not appear before them. Mr. S. adds, that the hundreds, in 
waiting.) demand a place in ivhich they can be accommodated to hear 
and see, and therefore he wishes, that the meeting-house may be open- 
ed, and the bell rung, as for public worship. The meeting-house to 
he opened ! — the bell ! — the hundreds waiting, in the porch, for ad- 
mission ! and the demand for public trial, quite put Mr. M. in a pan- 
ic; but he, at length, promises, that the vestry shall be immediately 
prepared, and with open doors; and here the council sit down. 
Now, sirs, take these things together, or separate, as you please; 
we are prepared to go into a review of proceedings, and result. 

Article 1. The deacon has settled it, that his son shall act in this 
council, as agent or attorney, for his father ; he is aceordingly pro- 
posed to council, as^sueh. Mr. S. objects to him, and complains of 
his obtrusion, as an act of injustice. Mr. Codman advocates the 
admission of the deacon's son, and the council vote, that he shall be 
admitted, and Mr. S. is voted out of his privilege, to stand on equal 
ground with his adversary. This is the beginning of the series. 

,irt. 2, Mr. S. declares to council, the object of the meeting, 
namely, his trial. He declares, that he has applied for charges, to 
the deacon, and that these charges, have been withheld. He dis- 



Review of Proceedings. 7l 

linctly names the date of the accusation, and begs the council not to 
suffer any accusations, subsequent to that date. The council are 
brought to a point, by Mr. S. at once ; they cannot proceed, under 
any mistake, unless it be, a wilful one. Mr. S. gives this view of 
the letter missive, he considers it as the warrant for his trial — Now, 
if the council knew otherwise, and that the missive was not such a 
warrant, they were bound, in duty and in justice, to have objected to 
Mr. S's. declaration ; — if Mr. S. was, in their view, mistaken, they 
should have aitemped, at least to have set him right : but they suffer 
things to go on, while they must know, either Mr. S. or themselves, 
to be in an error. This is not creditable to an ecclesiastical council. 
And then, Mr. S. begs them to discriminate, between charges of crime, 
said to be committed, before indictment, and crime, said to be com- 
mitted, after. But the council paid no attention to this distinction, 
as we shall see, in the sequel. Here was a want of wisdom, 
or of something else. Young Parker knew that he had upon his 
brief a declaration, that Mr. S. was not to be met upon the ground 
of his character, and yet, this young clergyman could see a brother 
ensnared and deceived, under the sacred garb of the most holy office, 
in which a man can stand, and this is the agent the council vote to 
conduct the trial, for the deacon, against our minister. 

Art. 3. The council are furnished with a full view of the whole 
subject, as to difficulties. The deacon, with the address of his son, 
no doubt, tells the whole story of his sorrows, and disappointments, 
in the unprofitableness of Mr. S's. ministry ; he makes no disguise of 
all his fears and hopes, in the meeting house speculation ; and throws 
himself upon the mercy of the council, begging and praying, that they 
will look upon his depreciating property and save him, from ruin and 
defeat, by sending away Mr. S. Four brethren of the church, in- 
cluding deacon Melledge, strengthen the deacon's statement, in short 
speeches, the merits of which are before as many of the public, as 
the vestry would hold, and will be, no doubt, remembered, both by 
them, and the council, as long as life shall last. Here closed the 
deacon's side of the case, and the council adjourned to dinner ; the 
public, too, went out to refresh themselves, and for the hour, talked 
the matter over as far as it had appeared, and as one side of the case 
was complete, (the accusations and charges^) Mr. S. was acquitted be- 
fore the public at this stage of the trial ; that nothing could be brought 
against him was evident, and, therefore, the Result was anticipated. 
After dinner, the council resumed their sitting, and heard four mem- 
bers of the church severally state, clearly and distinctly, the rise and 
progress of the ^'difficulties:''^ there was an uniformity in their tes- 
timony, each, and all, ascribed the troubles in the church, to the dea- 



72 Be'diew continued. 

con's vvorldliness and incapacity for government. To their minister 
they declared unfeigned attachment, and their desire to abide under 
his miniistrj. Here then are to be seen distinctly the testimony of 
hoth parties — the accusers of Mr. S. have no accusations to bring; 
all the charges, brought against Mr. S. are sunk into a petition to 
council, to stretch out their hand and save the deacon, from that 
ruin and disgrace, into which he had plunged himself. The defenders 
of Mr. S. have nothing to do, but to declare their attachment to their 
minister, and their wish to abide by him, and so it stands before the 
council, and before the public ; — a plain simple case. — Mr. S's. de- 
fence, as it was called, followed, of which we need say nothing; the 
council could not misunderstand it ; the public did not. 

Art. 4. The council retired to deliberate at 10 o'clock, on Tues» 
day night, after having sat, including intermissions, thirteen hours* 
They produced their Result at 6 P. M. next day, so that twenty hours 
had been consumed in preparing this Result. We were told, that 
but a small part of this time had been spent, in refreshment and rest. 
Twenty hours, were a considerable space, for preparing this Result. 
Thirteen hours in proceedings, and twenty in coming to a conclusion; 
this was a long time, during which, we were in great anxiety — all day 
the talk was, ' When will this Result make its appearance.' The pub- 
lic too, were full of inquiry, and high in expectation, especially, as 
they had come to a decision, at 2 o'clock the day before : as to xMr. 
S's. fate, they had little anxiety on that head, they were persuaded an 
ecclesiastical council, would do him justice : they supposed, therefore, 
that what detained them, so long, was the question ' What can be done 
with the deacons;' for their malemanagement, and double dealing, had 
been sufficiently proved ? For our own part, gentlemen, we frankly 
confess — we could not think what they could be at, for so long a time: 
but we have learnt since, and the Result, when forth coming, threw 
some light upon the mystery. We have met with no disinterested indi- 
Tidual, who was present, through the whole of the proceedings of the 
day, and came away, that night, with any hesitancy upon his mind, 
as to what must be the Result ; — the public were prepared to give 
their verdict, the moment the council adjourned, without an hour's de- 
liberation : and the public were as good judges as the council ; they 
heard all the council heard; and they heard something, which the 
council did not like to hear; they heard Mr. S. challenge them, just 
before they adjourned, upon the danger they were in of being misled^ 
hy the ex -parte evidence of one of their body^ when they should retire. 
But we are apprehensive, that some of these gentlemen had been mis- 
led by this kind of evidence, before they sat ; yes. sirs, this ex-parte 
evidence, was likely to keep them la debate for some time, for all wer(| 



Review concluded, 67 

wQi ex -'parte men, and could not eastiv be brought into ex-parte mea- 
sures ; but to this point in a more proper place. 

This letter must be brought to a close, by stating some facts, as they 
occurred, on breaking up of council. — The church, and the public, 
also, had been waiting all day for this Result. Towards evening an 
idea prevailed, that there would be no result that day ; the church 
and society were scattered, and the public, too, were not to be col- 
lected, at a few minutes notice. At 5 o'clock, Mr. S. received a 
notice, that the council were ready with their Result, and would be 
immediately at the vestry to make report. — As many, of all parties, 
as could be informed, came together, and the Result was read by the 
Scribe, Rev. Warren Fay. The state of public feeling on this re» 
suit, was soon expressed, with indignation. As to ourselves, we must 
confess, our feelings were mixed : it afforded us no small gratifica- 
tion, thnt our minister's character was so completely vindicated : but 
the '• advice" — this brought us to a stand. Mr. S. expressed our views 
and feelings, without our instruction, extemporaneously, to several 
members of council on the floor, before they departed. Mr. vS. said, 
that the Result had so mixed up and confounded together, virtue and 
vice — truth and error — right and wrong — as to leave him no data for 
his future proceedings. As to preaching the gospel, •' any where,'* 
for time to come, with that result before him, he could not see how 
that was to be done; righteousness and unrighteousness, were the same 
thing in that result. The members, thus addressed, said they had 
done their best — they had had a hard time of it, and hoped Mr. S. 
^ould consider the difficulties they had encountered, especially, as 
they had so watched and guarded his reputation If Mr. G. had been 
present at the breaking up of this council, and had seen the afflietiou 
of this church, the doubling of his salary, would have been no temp- 
tation to him; this would not have brought him to Essex Street. 



LETTER VIT. 

The Result ex-parte— The church propose to withdraw from the raeetinip-house— Advice an that head 
from reverend gentlemen of Boston— Church meeting ca'led— The deacon and his friends a"end. buC 
refuse to proceed to busiHess—They witlidraw— Votes of the church— Boston Recorder and Andover, 
take up the meeting-house pariy— Real standing of the church, declared by reverend gentlemen, ami 
by the Result— Council's apology for approbating the deacon proved futile— Result proved to be exv 
parte, from its own testimony— Contrast. 

More than the space of a week had elapsed, before we were fur- 
nished with a copy of the Result, during this space, we, and our min- 
ister, were frequently asked by people without, what ice intended to 
do ? As we had not had a sight of the Result, it was difficult to an- 
swer that question; only, we knew, at the first rcadiug of it, thai 
10 



74} The Church propose to withdraw. 

it was an ex-parte Resull, and. gotten up by the deacon's influence. 
But upon possessing an official copy, we soon saw into the chamber 
of imagery — the arcanum of a vain imagination: the plot was too 
evident, not to be seen, but still, we clung to the hope, that a major- 
ity of the council were, so far, uncorrupted, as to be able and willing 
to see how the matter must go ; and we are willing to hope, even still, 
that a majority of that council are decidedly our friends : but they 
suffered themselves to be so wrought upon, as to be brought under a 
measure of that disgraceful cliaracter, which will ever be a blot upon 
the doings of that day. 

Our history now must proceed, and the conduct of council, with 
the doctrine taught in the Result, be cited in justification of our con- 
duct. From the first of tlie disturbance in the church, as begun by 
the deacon, it was evident, that he had resolved upon separating the 
church and minister : this separation, we had all along, as seriously 
opposed ; to prevent this, we had thrown ourselves upon the judg- 
ment and justice of a council; this council, however, did not prove 
to be so just a tribunal, as we had expected : they, or, an influencing 
part of them, caballed with the deacon: they flattered us, and our 
minister, it is true, but it was only to deceive, as flattery is generally 
designed ; and we saw, that the justice of our cause was lost, but as 
we might be able to maintain it, independently by ourselves. The 
meeting-house, and the deacon reputed for riches, we saw clearly 
were every thing in the eye of council, the church, without this rich 
deacon, and without property in this meeting-house, was nothing: it 
became us then to seek our remedy in the best way we could. And 
now, Be it known unto all men^ that we proposed the following mea- 
sures : Nine Brethren, a majority of the church, voted unanimously, 
to propose to the deacons and five other brethren that. The said nine 
brethren and their pastor ^ with as many sisters as anight be disposed to 
join them, might be permitted to withdraw from the meeting-house, re- 
taining their church capacities and poivers, leaving also their deacons 
and Jive other brethren, though the minority, and without a pastor, in 
the possession of the same church capacities and powers as they, the 
said nine brethren^ wished to retain, themselves. They begged the mi- 
nority, by their vote, to render this separation mutual and peaceful^ 
and signify their approbation of the measure, so proposed, by letter to 
said majority. This measure was contemplated, and resolved upon, 
under the following circumstances. The church saw, that a con- 
tinuance in the meeting-house, with the church entire, and in peace, 
were not to expected. The disorderly deacons and members, like- 
wise, must necessarily be disciplined, if both parties continued in one 
fellowship : but, to discipline these disorderly members, was no easy 



Boston Clergy object, and propose another Method. 75 

thing, circumstanced and crippled as the church was, by that ex-par(e 
and unnatural Result of council. Hence this proposed measure; it was 
shown to that true subject of the Prince of Peace, and our friend 
Mr. Jenks, he heartily approved of it ; he thought it discovered a 
becoming spirit, and would deliver us from the turmoil, of disciplin- 
ing the disorderly; and though it was a great sacrifice in leaving 
our own meeting-house, we should be delivered from the scenes of 
strife, which seemed inseparable from that connexion. He thought, 
also, the separation being mutual, each party might retain their ec* 
clesiastical standing and character among the churches, and so things 
would come to a favorable issue. This proposal was accordingly dis- 
patched to the deacons, for their consideration, but two days had 
scarcely elapsed, before Mr. S. was invited to a conference with 
Messrs. Dwight and Wisner. Mr. Jenks also was invited. This 
proposed separation was the subject. Mr. S. vindicated the mea- 
sure upon the ground of its moral principle, he acknowledged that the 
measure might be exce{)tionable, upon the ground of established or- 
der in the N. K. churches, but that the irregular proceeding, if it 
were irregular, was adopted in order to obtain a better thing, than 
mere ceremonial order ; peace was the object to be gained, and gained 
too, at considerable sacrifice, on the part of the church and minister : 
he hoped, therefore, thai the churches and ministers would agree to 
wink at the irregularity, and look kindly on the measure, as a speci- 
men of morality. — With this view of the subject, Messrs. D. & W. 
could not fall in ; they said, that the measure was so wanting in 
form, that neither party would be acknowledged as a church, and the 
whole scheme would fail of the desired object. They would advise, 
(provided Mr. S. and his friends ivere determined to withdraw from 
the meetinghouse, which withdrawment it/i^«/ did not advise,) that, 
The church and pastor, as an ecclesiastical body, should withdraw, 
Dot as a part of the church, nor as a majority, but the church, 
and leave the deacons and their friends, to shift for themselves. They 
advised Mr. S. to stop and to nullify the proposal sent to the dea- 
cons, by calling them, and the whole church, to a regular meeting 
immediately. Mr. Jenks submitted his judgment, in the case, to this 
advice, as also did Mr. S — Mr. Jenks, therefore, was instructed to 
write to the deacons, calling them and the church to a regular meet- 
ing, by which, to supersede the proposal for separation. This letter, 
as drawn by Mr. J. Mr. S. signed, and it was dispatched forthwith, 
with notices to all the members for a meeting on the 6tli March, exactly 
fourteen days after the rise of council. Here we have just to remark, 
that the good standing and constitution of thechureh, were advocated 
by the three ministers above named ; by their advice, the church de- 



^6 Church Votes, 

clined, to sacrifice tlieir claim to the riajht of worshipping in the 
ttipeting-house ; by their advice they withdrew, as the church, leav- 
ing the minority in the possession of no ecclesiastical right at all. — 
All this, by the advice of the pastors of Old-South and Fark-Street 
churches. Now to the sequel. 

On the evening of the 6th of March, the church assembled in the 
vestry of Essex Street meeting-house. As soon as the church was 
declared to be in session, deacon Parker demanded of Mr. S. whether 
he was prepared to ask his dismission, agreeable to advice of coun- 
cil. xVlr. S. replied, that he had no communication to make to the 
church, but that the church had business to attend to, which would 
be brought forward in due form. The deacon insisted that the church 
Lad no business legally before them, unless Mr. S's. dismission was 
the question. In return, the churcii in**isted, that they had a right 
to call before them whatever question they pleased, and that, as they 
were come together for business, they were determined to prosecute 
it, in a legal and orderly way. The deacon still insisted, that there 
could be no business before the church, independent of our pastor's 
dismission, and that, if that were not the question, he and his friends 
should oppose the meeting; or withdraw. He was advised and se- 
riously admonished, to preserve becoming temper, and sit quietly and 
hear what might be proposed, and object if he. or his friends, had 
aught against the proceedings. But nothing coald bring the deacon 
to terms, or to patience. An effort was made, by one of his friends 
to dissolve the meeting, by moving an adjournment, but before the 
motion could be put, by the chair, the disorder became so great, that 
the deacon called upon his friends to follow him, which they did, and 
they all left the room, five in number, namely, the two deacons, and 
three other brethren, leaving the church in session, with a motion for 
adjournment before them. They then proceeded, in a regular manner, 
to business in the following order. 

" Voted, unanimously, Fhat this meeting do not adjourn. 

*' Voted, unanimously. That this church do not think it expedient, 
that our pastor ask his dismission from bis pastoral relation, to this 
people. 

«' Voted, unanimously. That this church think it necessary to with- 
draw from the house of worship in Essex Street, and, that, after the 
date of this vote, they do meet for worship and communion in Boyls- 
ton Hall. 

" Voted, That, this meeting, after prayer, do adjourn." 

A copy of the proceedings was sent to the deacon next morning, 
and the following Sabbath the church assembled in Boylston Hall, 
\vhere they were met by four fifths of the congregation, with whom they 



Andover and Boston Recorder, 77 

had fonnerly worshipped in the house. Essex Street meeting-house, 
also, was open at the same time, and the pulpit supplied at the in- 
stance of the deacon. In a few days, it was announced in the Bos- 
ton Recorder, that Essex Street pulpit was under the patronage 
of reverend members of council, and, that, they would preach there, 
in rotation. It was seen, too, by the most public demonstrations, 
that the two churches in Boston, with Andover Seminary, were to be 
the patrons an^! supporters of the deacon, and his meeting-honse. 
The church, exiled in Boylston Hall, saw also, that just as much 
support and patronage as the deacon was to have, just so much op- 
position and slander she was to have, as her portion. 

This is the proper place, in which to set some circumstances be- 
fore you, gentlemen, so immediately connected with this present state 
of the church as to illustrate a moral principle, in high operation a- 
raongst us orthodox and evangelical Christians. This church, driv- 
en to Boyiston Hall, is, as Messrs. D. and W. and J. declare the 
CHURCH, undivided and unimpaired. This church loses noihiug by 
going to Boylston Hall, hut her convenience in sitting in a spacious 
meeting-house, built expressly for her. The deacons, who refuse to 
follow the footsteps of the flock, and their three or four friends, are 
no church, but members of a church walking disorderly. This 
ehurch, though in exile, the Result says CJirist shed his blood to 
redeem : upon it Christ keeps his never slumbering eye ; — over it he 
extends his Mmighty protection ; — the interest of this spiritual king- 
dom (the church J is to be the first and highest object of desire and 
effort ; — no worldly or personal consideration is to be put in competi' 
lion with it, without violating our allegiance to Christ. Now. sirs, 
this very council who wrote and signed this, cast off this very church, 
for which Christ shed his blood, &e. and they take up the deacon, 
and his three or four disorderly brethren, even in the very act of 
disorderly walking, and declare their good will towards them in the 
Boston Recorder, and by preaching in the meeting-house, possessed 
and used by them in a disorderly way. — Was it ever heard of before 
in New England, that an ecclesiastical council, in the face of their 
own result, and in ilirect opposition to their own testimony, assisted 
in putting down a church of Christ, and, in the stead thereof, took 
up six or seven disorderly members, treating and patronizin* them, 
as if they were a church of Christ. We have heard, that something 
like this was attempted, at Dedham, a few years ago, but then, it 
was said to be the work of an Unitarian council ; but this strange 
work, abundantly more strange than the Dedham affair, is performed 
in Essex Street, Boston, by an orthodox council. 

The defence set up by this council, is this. First. They were led 



78 Council hard driven for Defence. 

to believe, wbile in session, (and some of them perhaps before.) that, 
a majority of the church and society wished Mr S. to withdraw from 
the church, and from Boston. Second, That, they were led to be- 
lieve, that, the deacon was so set upon Mr. S's. dismission, that it 
became their duty to advise Mr. S. to leave Boston ; and that it was 
Mr. S's. duty to leave Boston. Third, That, Mr. S. and the church, 
by not separating, namely, Mr. S. not asking his dismission, and the 
church wot giving it, had gone from that advice of council, which 
they had pkomised to abide by. Eacli of these articles of defence, 
>ve shall examine. As to the First — If the council had been per- 
suaded, during session, or before, that a majority was with the dea- 
con, they had been brought to a contrary conviction, by the settlement 
of about 500 people, with their minister, in Boylston Hall ; leaving 
about 50, with the deacon, in the meeting-house. They knew also, that 
deacon Parker, deacon Melledge, and, three or four more, undisci- 
plined men, w ith a pile of bricks and timber, in Essex Street, did not 
constitute the church of Christ ; — they knew this; — wherefore then 
this first plea ^ And for the Second, what more substance has it ? 
They say, that the deacon was set upon Mr. S's. dismission ! well, 
and what of that ? Did they come together in council to serve the 
deacon, or to try Mr. S. But they saw, that the deacon was not to 
be moved, his ''determination firm, and his conviction full." — Well, 
and was not Mr. S. dtterminad, and did he not express his conviction, 
2i%fiUly? In which of these determinaiions and convictions was there 
the most virtue, in Mr. S's. or in the deacon's } Which, was most for 
the interest of ChrisVs spiritual kingdom ; and which, most on per- 
sonal and wovldlij considerations? the deacon's or minister's? Let 
the public ju'ige : or let the council clear this up. The Third arti- 
cle of defence, is to give publicity to a known falsehood, namely. That 
Mr. S. and the church have gone from that advice of council, which 
theif had agreed to abide by. The council did know, during the pro- 
ceedings of the session, that Mr. S. and the church, did not agree to 
submit the question of dismission to them, and that they would not 
abide by such advice, iK given. If the council were persuaded other- 
wise, during private debate, Mr. S. and the church are not answera- 
ble, nor are they involved in the consequences of such dereliction. The 
Moderator of council was told, during private deliberation, by some 
of the members wlio had their eyes open upon the real case, that Mr. 
S. would not abide by such advice. As soon as council rose, some of 
its members fell in wiih a party of the^ft^ witnesses, to whom the said 
members reported the advice they had given. One of these witnesses 
declared his entire disapprobation of the result, he disapproved, be- 
cause, to his personal knowledge, the proceedings of council had been 



Besult ex-parte. 79 

aside the object, for which council was mutually called. This wit- 
7iess ad<led tliat, had he been present during proceedings^ he would 
have protested against the drift they ivere evidently pursuing. This 
article of defence has been a mighty engine, with whieli the deacon, 
his party, and the council, have justified the taking up of the meet- 
ing-house, at the expense of the church. The deacon, they say, was 
worthy to be espoused, because he did not go from advice of council. 
Mr. S. and his people, did not fulfil their part of the covenant, in a- 
biding by such advice, and therefore the treatment they receive, at 
the hands of council, is just. Such members of council as assert and 
have asserted this, in justification of the measures purrued by them, 
know at least, now, the statement to be diametrically opposite to 
truth. Mr. Codman has gone out, with this misstatement upon his 
lips, and deceived many : he has attempted to make an association 
of clergymen believe this, that our minister might be prejudiced, ia 
their esteem. But Mr. C. will not assert this, in the presence of our 
reverend friends Messrs. D wight, Wisner and Jeuks, and brethren 
Salisbury and Cutler, nor in the presence of those who were present 
at the council on the 19lh of February. Not one member of the coun- 
cil will assert this, in the presence of the above five gentlemen. 
Now, sirs, what becomes of this article of defence } indeed what val- 
ue is there in either of them } If the council were, at first, mistaken, 
or a little beclouded with the deacon's sophisms, some allowance may- 
be made for this, but that drama has long been over, they know now, 
that, that was all a figment, and they had better declare this, it 
would be much to their credit, it is never too late to amend and do 
better — A wise man, you know, when he says, IJiave been mistaken, 
only says, I am iciser to day,, than I was yesterday. These gentle- 
men of the council, seem hardly aware, of the vast pile of moral mis- 
chief that has been erected upon this false statement of their's : and 
we do blame ourselves, exceedingly, for not having laid these matters 
before the public, from the first ; but persuasion, and fear, and false 
affection, have made us by our silence, the abettors of this evil. 

We will now proceed to show you, gentlemen, that, This council, 
during proceedings and deliberations, became an ex-parte council, and 
that their result was ex-parte; — this we will prove, from facts and 
circumstances, which we shall challenge the council to deny. We 
think it has been proved already, that a part of the council was de- 
cidedly ex-parte, before the session, and we are prepared to show, 
that this prejudice was corrupting to the whole body, and gave it a 
bias, through the whole proceedings, towards the deacon, and his 
meeting-house property ; and, of course, a neglect of Mr. S. and the 
church. 



80 Council willingly ignorant. 

The first evidence, that this council was ex-par(e, in proceediui^s, 
deliberations, and result, is to be seen in the express letter of tlie re- 
sult. The committee say, " ffc are not called by the Letter Missive, 
to hear any accusations from them, (the two parties,) against each 
other, and sit in judgment.''^ We ask who gave the council this in- 
formalion ? The Letter Missive does not say that they are not called 
to hear accusations ; the mutual agreement was, when the Letter 
Missive was drafted, that the said letter should call a council express- 
ly to hear accusations, and to sit in judgment too : this Mr. S. de- 
clared to be his understanding of the Letter Missive, and for which, 
also, the council must know, he did stand before them, namely, that 
they might hear accusations, and sit in judgment. But, Mr. Codman, 
or the deacon, or the deacon's son, has told them, that the Letter 
Missive does not call them for this purpose, which they must have 
known to be doubtful, at least, if not absolutely false, but this they 
implicitly believe : Mr. S. tells them the very reverse, and he has 
the whole church to testify the same, and the testimony of five other 
witnesses to boot, but the council disbelieve him and pay him no re- 
gard, and absolutely contradict him, and proceed to another question 
— to a question, on which, Mr. S. has declared, he will not meet 
them. Is not this evidence, sirs, conclusive, that the proceedings, 
&c. are ex-parle ? 

A second class of evidence in proof that these proceedings, &e. 
were ex-parte, may be seen, in the discordancy of sentiment avowed, 
in the result. The council say, that they are not called to hear any 
accusations — nor to sit in judgment. And yet, they sit for twelve 
Lours, and hear accusations, one party against the other : they hear 
the deacon charge Mr. S. with having come to this country, without 
the deacon's approbation, and that Mr. S. so coming, dared to tell 
the public, that he came with the deacon's approbation, and advice. 
"Was not this hearing Mr. S. charged with something, unworthy his 
profession, and office ? They hear the deacon charge Mr. S. with 
very unchristian behaviour, and unpastoral conduct, in the admoni- 
tions, and admonitory letters, addressed by Mr. S to the deacons. 
They hear Mr. S. repel these charges, and in return, charge the 
deacons with uttering and writing, palpable falsehoods ; — with call- 
ing and holding irregular and sehismatical meetinsfs ; — with an un- 
toward and undisciplined spirit ;•— with lording it over the church ; — 
M'ith cnveteousness, *' which is idolatry;" — they hear the church 
Lring accusations against the deacon ; the church charge the deacon 
■with an undisciplined temper; with an undue love of money; with 
an undue love of human praise; with having a " double tongue," 
"which, the scriptures say, a deacon ought not to have. Is not this 



Result Contradictory. 81 

sitting to hear^ and is not this hearing accusations ? And we shall 
see, that they sit in judgment too. They give their opinion, (judg- 
ment may it not be called r) thus, and they say, it is their " serious 
opinion,^^ that a want of eonforniity to the precepts and example of 
Christ, had produced obvious irregularities, with which, they (the 
deacons and others) had been chargeable, in the mode of their proceed- 
ings, especially in respect to church meetings. Their judgment, or 
serious opinion, also, is, that Mr. S. has remarked upon the motives 
and conduct of the deacons and others, with severity and acrimony. 
It is their judgment, too, that the long tried character of the deacons 
and others, (their abettors,) raises them above suspicion. You see, 
sirs, that the council are of opinion, that the deacons and others, are 
chargeable with obvious irregularities, contrary to the precepts and 
example of Christ, and yet, ihey say that they are of opinion, that 
their long tried character raises them above suspicion. Ihey are of 
opinion, that tiiey are to blame, and, at the same time, not to be suspect- 
ed of having done wrong. So their judgment is, with respect to our 
minister. They are of opinion, that Mr. S. is chargeable with hav- 
ing treated the deacons improperly, as they (the deacons) complain, 
and with which they charge Mr. S. in particular, with severity and ac- 
rimony of remark. But the council are of opinion also, and they give 
it in the solemn form of judgment too, that Mr. S. has not been charg- 
ed with any thing, to his prejudice ; their own words are these. Jisan 
ecclesiastical council, we wish the public to know, that in these proceed- 
ings, NO AeCUSATIOXS HAVE BEEN PREFERRED AGAINST THE CHARAC- 
TER OF THE Rev. Mr. Sabine. Instead of impeaching him, his oppoS' 
sers have, in several instances^ expressed their confidence in his piety, 
and his desire to be faithful in the ministry. All this discrepancy arises 
from the ex-parte trammels im[)osed, upon this council. Had ail these 
ecclesiastics come into session, perfectly ignorant, and perfectly un- 
biassed, as did many of the public who witnessed the proceedings of 
that day, there would have been none of this embarassment and dis- 
cordancy. The unprejudiced public fell into none of this turmoil ; — 
their Result was, ' Advise the deacon to secure his property in the 
meeting house, in the best way he can, legally, and honestly, and 
then withdraw from the management, leaving the church and con- 
gregation, to the enjoyment of their own rights and privileges.' 

We have another source of evidence, in the irrelevancy of the mat- 
ter of the Result, a great proportion of it being quite aside from its ob- 
ject. The reader will perceive by looking over the Result, that each 
article of judgment or advice is introduced, by establishing a princi- 
ple, perhaps good in itself, but which is not applicable to the case in 
Jiand. We shall give a specimen or two, only. The council ;>ay, 
11 



B2 Strange Devices. 

(hat, ministers of the gospel are at all times, and in a very high de- 
gree at the present time, destined to perform arduous labours, to en- 
counter difficulties and hardships, and to make sacrifices : they add, 
that in these exercises, ministers need the sincerest and tenderest sym- 
pathy, and the firmest support. They go on to show, that Mr. S. is 
such a labourer and sufferer, and is, as such, entitled to support : 
they even denounce those, who will not support and comfort such 
ministers, as selfish, unreasonable, guilty and cruel. But this senti- 
mental breathing is, preliminary to advice and judgment, of an oppo- 
site character; — they advise the church to dismiss their minister; in 
iheir own \\or{\» to part with their beloved minister, however heart- 
rending it may be. And to make sure of getting rid of him, they 
give this additional advice, that the church give him a thousand dol- 
lars to leave the town. They absolutely withdraw their support from 
Mr. S. their beloved brother, as they call him, and advise him to give 
up his beloved people, and leave his field of useful labour and go to 
some other, nay, to almost any other, place. These preliminaries and 
preambles are the council's ; — the advice and judgment, come from 
the deacon, the disagreement is, because the latter are ex-parte. The 
next case is this, Mr. S. has an affectionate people, among whom he 
is useful, and there is a reciprocal interest between them. But Mr. 
S. must leave this people, and (his people must give him up, and the 
propriety of these measures are to be made to appear, from the cir- 
cumstance that Christ, as the Great Head of the Church, has a pro- 
priety in a minisler, above what any single local church can have, 
and therefore the relation, in which a minister stands to the kingdom 
of Christ at large, sometimes requires, that his relation to a particu- 
lar church, should be dissolved ; — the council mean to say, that cases 
sometimes occur, in which a minister is called from his particular 
charge, to a more important station, or, to a larger field of labour ; 
—to a superintendance in a college ; or, to a more numerous people : 
and this is the sentiment the council would bring into application to 
the present case; but unfortunately, Mr. S. has no call to any high- 
er charge, nor, to any other field of labour whatever. No, he is advis- 
ed to go to some other undefined place ; to any other place. Nothing 
can be more clear than, that this advice or judgment is ex-parte ; it 
is exactly in unison with Mr. Codman's advice. Go to England — Go to 
J\*ew York, with the deacon's wishes and resolves. That Mr. S. be 
dismissed to any otiier place, or, to no place, so, that he be gotten rid 
of, and out of the town. But then, what has all this fine sentiment 
about, inviting prospects of usefulness in some other parts of Christ's 
church, to do with the case s' The council talk of applying it to 
the present case / but they know that it is inapplicable, and irrele- 



Public Opinion, S3 

vant. Is it not astonishing, that sixteen grave men, men of God sit- 
ting in Moses' seat, where they were expected to legislate in the fear 
of God, could so pervert judgment, and agree to "turn aside the 
stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD ?*' 

That this Result is ex-parte, is evident from the attention it pays 
to one side of the case, and its inattention to the other. Whatever 
the deacon declares to be his wish, whatever he asserts, proved or 
disproved, true or false, the council promptly take it up, and act 
npon it, agreeable to the deacon's purpose. If what the deacon has 
done, or said, be proved to be wrong or false, the council evade the 
force of such proof, by saying, his long standing raises him above 
suspicion. Whatever the church or minister assert, or do, and they 
hring facts in evidence and in justification, it amounts to nothing be- 
fore this council, the deacon's property (money) his csntrol over it, 
&j\d Uis firm determination expressed, comjjel them to give this re- 
sult. The Result, takes scarcely a feature from the proceedings and 
discussions of the parties, while in debate. Not only does the Re- 
sult, not take any of its leading features from the discussions and 
evidences laid before them by the church and pastor, but it scarcely 
takes a feature from the declarations of the other party, at the time 
of proceedings j its leading, and grand feature, is taken from decla- 
rations and purposes of the deacon, given in evidence before sit- 
ting. The deacon is so satisfied as to how matters will go, that he 
hardly prepares any arguments to prove it necessary, to dismiss our 
minister. His statement, though smart as to its style, being drawn 
up by his son, is lame at every stage, full of palpable errors, and de- 
clarative of the deacon's own imbecility ; the statement was so mis- 
erably poor, as to astonish the public ; as they retired, at the dinner 
recess, they said one to another — ' Is this all the deacon and his a- 
gents have to say ? What ! is all this boasted attack upon Mr. S's. 
character sunk down to this ? What! call an ecclesiastical council 
to look at this slim trumpery, patched up affair .^' The lightness of 
some members of council forcibly struck some of the spectators: it 
was visible to some, that with certain members of council, it was all 
a packed business. There are several reasons which induce the con- 
viction, that this Result was not only ex-parte, but dictated and re- 
solved upon before session. Take this circumstance, sirs, and just 
look at it, as it stands on the Result. The council say. The control the 
deacon must have over his property in the meeiing-hous", his full con- 
viction, and firm determination expressed in regard to this subject, com* 
pel them to the conclusion, that this is a desperate case — that there 
is no prospect of removing the difficulties, which attend the connea-iou 
between the church and their pastor. The council tell us also that 



S* Council impeach themselves* 

(hey are called to consider difficulties, and to give advice thereon. 
But what difficulties do they inquire into? Why, they tell us that 
they cannot inquire into them, nor look at them, they are filled with 
despair — But why, can they not advise upon them ? Why, they tell 
us, that the deacon has prevented them from giving advice upon the 
dijiciilties, by his having made up his mind, and come to Sifidl con- 
viction, and Jzrw determination, before the council deliberate, and of- 
fer advice. The deacon, you see, gentlemen, does not come to the 
couucil for advice, the council says he does not, he comes to demand 
sentence upon his adversary, upon his own judgment, without trying 
him, and he tells council what he will have done. And the council 
tell us, that they sit and hear this dictatorial address, and, that they 
are compelled tamely to >;uhmit to the dictator. What a council is 
this, to sit and hear one of the parties, on whom their judgment is to 
he pronounced, tell them to their face, that he does not want their 
opinion nor advice, and that they need not give advice, for he knows 
already what to do, and what shall be done, for his convictions are 
full, and his determination firm ! Alas for the New England churches 
when such sons guide them ! But there is another circumstance, and 
a very serious one too. The council say that this full conviction, 
and firm determination, were expressed. We ask when ? when it 
was, that this was expressed ? We were present during the whole of 
the trial, and we paid, as we thought, clo«ie attention to the whole of 
the proceedings, and we do not recollect any thing in the expressions 
of the two great contributors to the nieeting-house, so full, and so de- 
termined, as to justify this declaration of the council. What the dea- 
con said, though spiced and strengthened by his reverend son, was, 
after all, an insipid, weak, and drivelling solution. As to the ex- 
pression of the second deacon and contributor, it was an expression of 
respect to the character of our minister, and not a word full or deter- 
mined, on the subject of dismission. When, then, was this expression 
heard ? We know very well, that one person, in the council, had heard 
ih\sfidl conviction, and^r?Ti determination expressed before the ses- 
sion, and it was expected by Mr. S. that this same person would mis- 
lead the council, when they retired to deliberate, hence his caution to 
council. Mr. Fay, also, might have heard this expression, when he 
called on the deacons, with Dr. W^oods' instruction; to this, how- 
ever, we cannot speak with certainty, but Mr. F. can say what he 
did hear on that visit, and it would have been kind in him to have 
returned, and told Mr. S. what he had heard from the deacons, 
which he did not. The deacon's son, also, was officious enough be- 
fore session, to tell all tlie members of council elect, if they would 
hear him, that his father was sovereign in Essex Street, and that 



Result the Deaconh, 85 

every thing in council must be conducted as his father, the senior 
deacon, \md fully determined. Taking these features of the ressult, 
as they present themselves, we nalurally conclude, that this Result 
was a thing settled, ' cut and dried' before hand. The deacoD, as- 
sisted by his son and Mr. C. dictates this redoubtable document, the 
instruction runs thus, ' Mr. S. must have a good character, *' as good 
as pen can write." Mr. S. however, must have a side blow, for dar- 
ing to reprove, and discipline, so rich a man as the deacon. — The 
deacons, too, must be raised above suspicion, notwithstanding Mr. S. 
possesses evidence against them, under their own signatures. — And 
Mr. S. must be advised, in solemn tone, to go away out of Boston; 
and the church must be advised to give him a thousand dollars.' 
Well, the Result makes its appearance, and lo! the deacon is there to 
witness it, and Mr. Codman too, who had told Mr. S. the contents of it 
a week before, and all comes dribbling out, one after another, as Mr. 
C. had predicted, and as the deacon h&.d fully determined. There is 
not a thing this result ofters, but is in perfect agreement with the 
deacon's devices. The Preamble and the form, with some of its 
rhetoric, may be ascribed to the council, but even here some of it, at 
least, is devised for this case, and applied to it merely to give a col- 
our to the prime object. From all we can gather, it does not appear, 
but that this Result might have been fairly drafted before the council 
jsat, and brought by the Moderator in his pocket, on the morning of 
session, and laid on the table for the acceptance of the church. And 
had it been so done, had the Moderator said to Mr. S. ' Sir, there is 
your mittimus, that contains the will and pleasure, the fall conviction 
tim] firm determination of my employer, the church will give you a thou- 
sand dollars to submit to it, and our business is done ;' it would have 
been honourable and kind, to what it was, to suEfer the parties to ap- 
pear in debate, when the council wanted no further light on the sub- 
ject, and when one of the parties was already prejudged. But, sirs, 
we are not disposed to believe, that all the members of this council, 
were pre-instructed, or predisposed, lo do wrong; we have been oblig- 
ed to speak of them as one body, because of their associate capacity, 
and it is difficult, if possible, to distinguish between them : but it is 
evident from facts, that there was a diversity of principle among 
them, at least for a time, and in some degree, there is to the present 
time. The fact is, that they continued in deliberation, and in cora- 
iog to the result for twenty hours. Had the result been in rea- 
diness on the morning of the 20lh, it might have been presumed, that 
the result was prepared the night before, and that the council retired 
to rest after but little debate, but the fact was otherwise, the council 
say that they coutinued in deliberation all night, with but little in- 



86^ Council not all agreed, 

termission, and we know that so much of the following day (the 
20th) was occupied in debate, or in drafting the result, that it was 
not produced till 5 or 6 o'clock in the evening. It is from hence pre- 
sumable, that when they went into deliberation, they were not all a- 
greed upon the result, and it seems farther, that they were a long 
time in coming to an agreement. What could have caused this long 
strife ? One thing is certain, there was no debate upon Mr. S's. min- 
isterial standing and character — upon his having been the instrument 
of raising the church and society — no debate upon his labours and 
perseverance^ and successes and sacrifices — no debate, upon his fitness 
to stand in a permanent connexion with his beloved church and socle- 
ty ; to preach to them the unsearchable riches of Christy and gather 
souls into his kingdom — no debate upon the real question which Mr. 
S. and the church had agreed to meet — If there was no debate on 
these articles, the question is, what could have detained them so 
long ? To this que^ition we cannot be prepared to give a solution, as 
no one besides the council was admitted into the closet : but we can 
ask a question or two, upon the question. As there was no debate 
upon Mr. S's. character and standing was there none upon the stand- 
ing and character of the deacon .^ — was there no debate upim the val- 
ue and stake of the deacon's money ; those worldly and personal con- 
siderations, which, the council say, they cauuot take into view with' 
out violating their allegiance to Christ? As there was no debate up- 
on the filness of our minister to preach to the people, was there no 
debate upon the filness of Mr. S. to preach to the deacon, after he 
had so faithfully preached to the deacon's conscience, both by word 
and epistle already ^ Was there no debate upon these following ques- 
tions. ' Will Mr. S. take the advice we want, nay, are compelled to 
give him ? — Will Mr. S. be in good standing if he do not — and if his 
church and people retain him, will they be in good jttanding, and en- 
titled to our fellowship ?' Was there no dobate upon the claims of 
the agitated church, and their afflicted minister ? If these articles 
were in debate, no wonder they were so long in coming to a conclusion, 
and what is better still, it proves, that some members of council 
were striving to do their duty, and labouring bard to serve the agitat- 
ed church, and their afflicted and oppressed minister. 

The ex-parte character of this Result appears, in fine, upon the 
council's declaration of Irapotency and Desperation. They talk of 
* inquiring into difflculties^ and of giving advice thereon ! but what 
difficulty do they inquire into } what difficulty do they look in the 
face ? The great difficulty is, How the council shall support and 
vindicate the church in the possession of her rights, in opposition to 
a rich and powerful deacon. But do they look at, or inquire into 



Cause of Desperation. S7 

this difficulty ? alas, the difficulty no sooner makes its appearance, 
than the council, shake with fear; and declare their desperation — 
there is no prospect of removing the difficulty. These gentlemen of 
the council set out very courageously, and declare their determina- 
tion to go through the host of difficulties, like good soldiers of Jesus 
Christ. They lay down as a sovereign article in this war. The real 
SPIRITUAL welfare of Chrisfs kingdom, as the first and highest 
OBJECT OF desire AND EFFOHT. nor cun they suffer any personal or 
worldly consideration to come into competition. On this subject the 
members of this council have but one mind, to have any other mind, 
would be to violate their allegiance to Christ. Their eye is to bp thus 
STEADILY fixed, all the while they deliberate on the difficidties, the 
various and perplexing and painful difficulties. This is well said. 
But as soon as the deacon appears with his three and twenty 
THOUSAND DOLLARS, iu the meetiug-house, and his full conviction 
and firm determination to boot, courage fails, and we see every man 
with his hands on his loins — and all faces are turned into paleness, 
and they cry with a great and bitter cry. This is a desperate case ! 
If this be all we can get from an Ecclesiastical Council, who will 
think of convening one, in a case of difficulty. Churches had better 
grapple with their oppressors, and their wrongs, alone ; such a coun- 
cil would only add to their affliction, and become, at best, a dead 
weight upon their exertions. The name of an Ecclesiastical Council 
and its results, decisions and advice, have a solemn sound, and some 
look with solemn awe upon them — but they, the council themselves, 
tell you that they have no power, if the case be difficult they are fill- 
ed with desperation. A power to coerce, they are not expected to 
have, and all power exerted in a way of craft, even if it be church 
craft, is equally foreign to the legitimate authority of spiritual offi- 
cers : the power vested in such an ecclesiastical body, is only adviso- 
ry and persuasive ; the parties, so advised, are left, after all, to fol- 
low what they may suppose their better judgment : but when advice 
is given in wisdom and in purity, it will, it must be respected : 
knowledge is power — wisdom is power — goodness is power — resolu- 
tion and zeal in wise and good men are strong powers. What other 
powers can be necessary ! What power did the Lord Jesus exercise 
when he drove the buyers and sellers out of the temple ? His com- 
mission was divine, but the powers he exercised on the transgressors 
were human, he exercised no other powers than any other good man 
could have done. ^uery. Had not this council sufficient powers to 
have overturned the deacon's money table, and to have driven, with 
their office whip, the traffickers from ourtemple.^ Whenlhesame Bless- 
ed Saviour yanq^uished the Devil in the desert, what powers did he use, 



88 Jlward for Damage, 

but those which we can all use ? The sword of the Spirit which is 
the Word of God. When Jesus saw Satan unfolding his contriv- 
ances, he might have shrunk back and said. This is a desperate case — 
and indeed it would have been a desperate case, but for this weapon 
under his vesture upon his thigh ; and this weapon every Christian 
soldier has. This weapon, had the council used it, would have pre- 
vented or removed the desperation of the case, and have driven away 
the demon of persecution from the church. But as the council could 
not wield this sword, the church was compelled to try, and by it she 
conquered, and laid the Devil low, where he must have lain to this 
day, had not the council set him on his legs again. Some members 
of council feel not a little mortified at this exploit of the church, and 
well they may, that a handful of people, laying no claim to the influ- 
ence of riches, of no high standing in society, but brow beaten and 
heart sick with oppression, should, in the face of a council and con- 
federate churches, assert their Christian liberty, and spiritual eccle- 
siastical rights, especially when that council had declared its own 
impotency and desperation. 

We will detain you, sirs, but a moment longer upon these articles. 
The council finally award Mr. S. some remuneration for damages. 
** Taking into consideration the various sacrifices which Mr. S. has 
^* made, together with the circumstances of his family, this coun- 
" cil think he is entitled, injustice, to some pecuniary consideration. 
*' And in case our Rev. brother, after serious deliberation, shall com- 
" ply with the advice given him in this result, and in case such com- 
'* pliance shall render it necessary for him to leave this town, and re- 
*' move to some other field of labour, we do unitedly give the addi- 
** tional advice, that this church, within a reasonable time, should 
" grant him the full amount of what they contracted to give him as 
" an annual salary." (glOOO.) If this passage in the result had nev-l 
er been the subject of discussion, if no appeal had ever been made to 
the Moderator, on its import and meaning, we should have entertain- 
ed a better opinion of its intent, than we do as it is. On its ex-par- 1 
te character, we never had any doubt, yet we thought it might be in- 
tended for some remedy in an evil case. The first thing visible herel 
is — Mr. S. is to be damaged, or injured, in his substance and means] 
of support; this result is to separate him from the means of recover- 
ing what he has sacrificed^ in raising and collecting the new congre- 
gation for the new meeting-house, hence, injustice^ they s&y,he is en- 
titled to some pecuniary consideration. If this be not the most visiblel 
meaning of this clause, we are mistaken, and willingly stand correct- 
ed by your better judgment. But if we have fixed upon the verbal 
meaning of the clause^ then we think that we have discovered 



Indistinct Conditions* S9 

grand defect in its spirit, which defect is natural in such an ex-parte 
instruction. The defect is, in not saying what remuneration justice 
awards, nor when, and by whom, it is to be paid 5 they are distinct e- 
iiough as to, FOR WHAT it is due, namely, for various sacrifices which 
Mr. S, HAS made, but as to the method of obtaining it they say no- 
thing about it. The next clause has two conditions, or cases, Jind in 
case -and in case, though we can see but one real case, one con- 
dition, which condition or case is this, if Mr. S. shall comply with ad- 
vice {^oy which compliance we suppose is intended going to some other 
place, nay to almost any other place, here explained leaving Boston,) 
then he is awarded glOOO, but if he do not leave Boston, he is not en- 
titled to such sura. But if we have erred in making the two express- 
ed cases into one and they are actually two, then by complying with 
advice, in going to some other place, or any other place, we are to un- 
derstand some, or any other place of worship, so that Mr. S. having 
gone to the Hall, is, in some other place, and is entitled to the giOOO, 
Only, there is one unfortunate thing in this case, as well as in the other, 
the council say that the church shall give Mr. S. this said sura of a 
thousand dollars ; but the church never proposed the condition, the 
church never gave the instruction for the award, the church were 
never pledged to give ; where then, and to whom w as Mr. 8. to look 
for it, even had he complied with the condition. Indeed it has been 
represented to the deacon, that the advice of council has been virtual- 
ly complied with, in withdrawing from the meeting-house, and there- 
fore Mr. S. ought to receive injustice some remuneration : to which 
the deacon has replied ' Let the church pay him for so the council ad- 
vised.' And some members of council too, have replied in a similar 
spirit ; more of which in its place. Notwithstanding all this, we are 
satisfied, that the council, as a body, intended that if Mr. S. were 
damaged by their advice, he was to be remunerated ; we have no 
doubt but the deacon stood pledged to council for that sum, and We 

INTEND TO HAVE THIS MATTER LOOKED INTO AND TIiAT IMMEDI- 
ATELY ! 

This review of Result shall conclude with some few sentiments of 
said document placed in contrast — ^in opposite columns. 

Ministers of the gospel at all They bear in mind Mr. S's. la- 
times and in a very high degree at hours, sufferings, sacrifices and 
the present time are destined to success — but for the welfare of the 
arduous labours, difficulties, hard- church and for Mr. S's. own corn- 
ships and sacrifices, and in these fort, they advise him to ask his 
exercises they demand firm sup- dismission without delay, and go 
port. to some, nay to any other place. 

They praise Mr. S. for his self- They advise Mr. S. to seek 
12 



90 



Sentiments contrasted. 



denying ami successful labours; 
and wish him to be the man to 
stand in a permanent relation to 
his church. 

They praise the church for 
Iheir affection to their minister, 
and the minister they commend 
for his successful labours among 
Li- people. 

They say that a regard to 
Christ's spiritual kingdom is to 
be the first object of desire and ef- 
fort, and that they cannot without 
violating theirallegiance to Christ 
suffer any personal or worldly 
consideration to be put into com 
petition with it. 

A regard to the spiritual king- 
dom of Christ is to regulate all 
the. proceedings of council, and is 
calculated to give a right direc- 
tion to all their transactions. 



comfort by labouring somewhere, 
any where else, that he may have 
more ease and exercise less self- 
denial. 

The minister and people ibey 
advise to separate for mutual ben- 
efit and comfort ; and it is their 
duty to separate. 

The property in the meeting- 
house, the control the deacon has 
over it, the deacon's determinaliott 
to dismiss or expel the minister, 
compel them to advise Mr. S. 
with all his effort in advancing 
the kingdom of Christ, to go away. 

Deacon P's money and determi- 
nation to expel Mr. S. drive them 
to desperation, and induce them to 
take away from Christ's spiritual 
kingdom one of its successful spir* 
itual labourers. 



LETTER VIII. 

Measures for dismissing: dissatisfied members— Dismissed without testimonials— Mr. S. requested t» 
withdraw from Monthly Concert of prayer a' Park Street— The church address the conceri— Essex 
Street church aceoun's— New church org-anized-Oiganizaiion proved lo be irregular, immoral, and 
unjust— Union church proved to be spurious, from its own history. 

From the foregoing facts and circumstances it is clearly to be " 
seen, that there is a vast pile of iniquity somewhere, between, or a- 
mong, the contending parties. The charges and counter charges, the 
modes and measures of offence and defence, cannot leave all the par- 
ties, who have been active agents in them, equally and entirely un- 
affected by them ; there is much of moral characler, to be observed, 
nor can the reader fail to deci Je on the party with whom reason and 
truth combine. We have seen how this Result of council operated, in 
removing the whole church, with their pastor, into Boylston Hall : but 
it must be borne in mind, that this was not the effect projected, de- 
sired, or even anticipated by the deacon : he intended to drive away 
the minister, and keep the church to sanctify his meeting-house pro- 
perty, and the congregation also, he would have retained to support 
bis next coming minister. The council too, though they had somt 



Letter to Moderator, 91 

fears and forebodings, yet having a thousand dollars, as they were 
led to think, at their diitposal, cherished the fond hope that Mr. S. 
would be quietly dismissed, and the whole body of the people retain- 
ed : but all their hopes and expectations were a dream, a miscalcu- 
tion. The church also, in withdrawing from the house hazarded a 
serious experiment : the church thought, or desired to think, as they 
withdrew for the sake of peace, and to prove that the church and 
congregation were in affection with their pastor, that the deacon, be- 
ing left, to his own resources, would relent and bring back again the 
church to its own habitation, and this hope would probably have 
been realized, had not the other churches, ungenerously, and unjust- 
ly, taken part with the oppressor. The church, however, laid no 
such stress upon this probable issue, as io make no provision for a 
permament and final expulsion from the house, as may be seen in the 
stand they have maintained to this day. Even after the church saw^ 
though with sorrow, the support lent by other churches to the deacon, 
yet they clung lo the belief, that no council, no body of professing 
Christians, no churches, no ministers, could be so wanting in honour 
and justice, as to forsake a church and pastor whose merits and 
claims they had so loudly proclaimed. — Accordingly, they addressed a 
letter to the Moderator of the late council, stating the reasons, for the 
steps they had taken, and begging that support, and countenance, of 
which the council had in the result declared them worthy. Tbis let- 
ter was graciously received by Dr. Woods, and to it he returned a 
gracious verbal answer, and the grace ended in words only. But it 
must be known, that the doctor did profess to look a little khidly to- 
wards the afflicted church at first, and in consequence of this gracious 
appearance, he was asked, by our minister, to preach in the low and 
humble pulpit of the Hall, or to send a substitute from the Semina- 
ry, to PROVE his good will : to this, however, the Dr. could not con- 
sent during the continuance of the excitement, which our going into 
the Hall had occasioned ; this he thought would soon subside, and 
then, there might be the desired intercourse. But the doctor had no 
long insight in this case, or he had never given the famous Result, 
nor have reckoned upon the speedy termination of this excitement. 
However there was a motive for this seemingly kind look towards 
the church. The deacon and his associates in rebellion, though they 
had a meeting-house, had no church standing, but what was at the 
disposal of the afflicted persecuted church exiled in the Hall. These 
members had behaved in so disorderly a way, and their verity had 
been so impeached, as the Dr. well knew, that they were liable to a 
discipline, which might end in excommunication ; and then it might 
l^e mure difficult to convert this meeting-house into a tief of the An- 



9i6 Dismission demanded, 

dover See : which was determined upon, however, at all events. 
Hence it was an object to get the deacon and his sombre companions, 
whitewashed as neatly, and with as little outward ceremony, as pos- 
sible. The Dr. undertook to arrange this business. He paid our 
pastor a visit, and communicated to him, that he (the Dr.) had in- 
structed the deacon to apply for a regular dismission, with those of 
his friends who intended to unite with him. Dr. Woods was here 
reminded by Mr. S. that the deacon's party had exposed themselves 
to church censure, and that they ought to be dealt with in a course 
of regular discipline ; Mr. S. said, the church would not do its duty, 
if it did not mark such offenders; but he was sorry to add, that the 
church was so crippled, and weakened, and disheartened, by the 
late doings of council, that he did not see, how the church could pro- 
ceed to its duty with a party, so intrenched as they were in the Re- 
sult of council, and supported too, with the deacon's money. The 
doctor in turn thought the church had better not attempt the work 
of discipline, but dismiss them to a council, who would judge and do 
what was right with them : to this Mr. S. assented, as to his own 
opinion, but said, it must be left with the church at last. 

In the month of March, about five weeks after the session of coun- 
cil, came the application for said dismissiou, in form and substance, 
as follows : 

" The deacons and other members of Essex Street church remaining 
" still in Essex Street, being a minority in said church, and, wishing 
" to be formed into a regular church state, that they may continue to 
" enjoy the advantages of Christian worship, and ordinances, as here- 
'* tofore, request a regular dismission from the majority of the churchy 
" noiv removed to Boylston HalL 

" Mary Bean, J^athan Parker, ^ , 

" Harriet Cheever, James Melledge, $ ' 

^^ Eunice Josselyn, Joseph JSToyes, 

*' Mary %^nn How, Samuel Randall, 

*' Mary Jinn B. How, Joseph Morton, 

^'Martha How, Joshua Bean, 

" Catharine Thayer, Marquis F. Josselyn, 

*' Margaret Thaxter, 

'' It is wished, that the above request may be acted on, without 
" delay, 

" Boston, 28th March 1822." 

This document was laid before the church, as requested, without 
delay. The church were of opinion, that the petition was much 
wanting in form : the petitioners ask a regular dismission j it would 
have been regular, for the receding members to have addressed the 



Dismissed without Character. 9ir 

church, as the church, not calling themselves a minority, and the 
church a majority^ for the idea of so dividing, fiad been qna)<>hed by «he 
advice of reverend gentlemen of Boston, before the church uilhdrevir 
from the house. However, the church concluded to pass over thi» 
informality : but the standing and character of these men were the 
greatest stumbling block : the church could not declare them to be 
in honourable fellowship, in good standing. Nothing could be more 
evident to the church, than that all these petitioning members bad 
been disorderly, and that this disorderly conduct in some of them had 
amounted to flagrant acts of immorality ; and that these immoral 
acts were marked and noted by the world. It was evident to the 
church that this act of demanding dii^mission, and the purpose for 
which it was demanded, were both irregular, and not to be justified 
on any proper moral principle. This disorderly conduct, had been 
marked and disapproved of by council, and their vices too, had never 
been disproved, nor had there been any attempt to disprove them be- 
fore council : the council made no attempt to justify them from the 
charges — they only evaded the accusations, by saying, that the long 
standing of the accused members, raised them above suspicion. This 
mode of delivering transgressing members of a church from disci- 
pline, the church thought to be highly ofl'ensive to God, unscriptural, 
and immoral ; and tending, also, to justify the wicked, as well as to 
introduce disorder and vice into the house of God. But Dr. Woods 
had admitted that, at least, some of these men had exposed them- 
selves to discipline, and that the council to be convened would look 
into this. The church then taking all these things into considera- 
tion, especially their own crippled and weak state, the wealth of their 
enemies, and the hope of some redress in organizing council to be 
called, resolved upon dismissing these petitioners, but without any 
testimony to their moral worth, and good standing: the church dis- 
missed them to a council, and they expected to a council which won Id 
do righteously; whether such hopes and expectations were realized, 
the sequel will show. We were led to expect that these retiring 
members, upon receiving their dismission, would proceed immediate- 
ly to organize themselves into a new church state ; they ask their 
dismission, begging that it may be granted without de ay^ but upon 
receiving it they make no visible efforts to become a new church for 
several weeks, during which delay or demur, several incidents took 
place, adding to our afflictive history, which we must briefly state. 

Some few weeks after the removal of the church into the Hall, 
Mr. S. was called aside, by two reverend gentlemen, to be informed, 
that they, the said reverend gentlemen, were commissioned by sundry 
members of their churches to inform Mr. S. that his presence, (official 



94 JTeasures of Council. 

preseuce we presume) and services, at the Monthly Concert of 
Prayer at Park Street, would not, henceforth, be agreeable to gaid 
Sundry Members, and therefore they, the said Sundry Members, 
would express a wish, that Mr. S. should withdraw, at least, for the 
present, or during the excitement which his not obeying the advice of 
council had occasioned. Rev. gentlemen added, that this communi- 
cation was not an expression of their own opinion, nor was it an act 
of their's, it was a communication of the opinion and feeling of sun- 
dry members of their churches. These are the facts, and they have 
been related in terras quite as meekly and as guardedly, as in their 
original shape. The circumstances were these, Mr. S. was a mem- 
ber of the concert, by unanimous vote of concert, we have a copy of 
the vote attested by S. E. Dwight. But in the case before us. Sun- 
dry Members of the two churches, take upon them to nullify and su- 
persede this unanimous vote; and not to be seen themselves in this 
disorderly act, they screen themselves behind their reverend pastors, 
whom they send on this errand of scandal and disorder. Another 
fact on the same incident. Some time after the church had become 
acquainted with this ease, and were satisfied that the measure pro- 
ceeded from the unhappy operations of the council, the church voted 
a remonstrance, which vote was duly submitted to concert, through 
the medium of Mr. Evarts. Mr. E. in a respectful and christian like 
way, acknowledged, by letter, the reception of the remonstrance, and 
promised duly to act upon it. But no official, or regular, notice was 
taken of it afterwards, that we know of, either by the concert, the 
two churches, or any one else whom it concerned, except that the 
two ministers some twelve months after, as their own act and deed, 
invited Mr. S. to resume his station in the concert, as before, which 
invitation Mr. S. accepted. These facts and circumstances go to 
prove, that these disorderly people have no confidence in their own 
schemes, they declare by this boggJing that they are set upon a thing 
which must be done, because it is a darling object : Essex Street 
meeting-house must be supported, and a new church must be establish- 
ed therein, let what will be the consequence; it is so decreed by Park 
Street and Andover, but to accomplish this object, nothing must be 
left unattempted by which, to '' put down" and destroy the original 
and legitimate church, for the success of the new one, will depend in 
a great measure upon the decline of the old one. The first thing to be 
published is that Mr. S. and church have gone from Result of coun- 
cil, and thereby have rendered themselves obnoxious to all good and 
orthodox Christians in Boston and vicinity, and, therefore, that the 
deacon and his meeting-house are the legitimate church of God. This 
report of going from result we have proved to hQ s^misrepresentattonp 



Sale of Meeting -House, %$ 

and it was also known to he such to Drs. Woods and Codman, to the 
deacon and all his associates : but after the lengthy, and, seemingly) 
pious advice of the Result, we may expect little else but deception 
and fraud in the whole work of the meeting-house party 5 with which 
we identify the council and " some members" of the two Boston 
ORTHODOX CHURCHES. It was the seeming piety of this Result, that 
at first beguiled us into a belief, that the council meant to do well, 
but it was their procedure after their rising, and their combining with 
the deacon's personal and worldly estate that opened our eyes. Now, 
sirs, mark the character of the first step taken by this combination 
OF PARTIES, their object is to seize the meeting-house, and to justify 
the measure; they give out that Mr. S. and the church have forfeit- 
ed their claim by going from Result: this they all knew to be false, 
and that the falsehood would be likely to be exposed, but they presum- 
ed the exposure would not be till they had secured the prey. But to 
strengthen this weak place, for all parts that are false are weak, 
they add in justification of their measures, that the deacon would be 
liable to sell his meeting-house, to Universalists, or Unitarians^ or even 
to Roman Catholics, who wanted to purchase it, and therefore the 
combination of sundry members, in the two churches, was a godly and 
orthodox combination, by which to preserve the house in the service 
of the good cause. But these new traders in the meeting-house did 
not consider, that while they were paying themselves such a compli- 
ment for orthodoxy, they were sinking the character of the deacon 
equally low for any doxy, by giving out that the deacon (so good a 
man) could sell his meeting-house to heretics and sectaries. These 
gentlemen, the writers of the Result, seem to forget that there is a 
connexion between the premises and the conclusions ! Well, but these 
sundry members, under these godly pretensions, were actually treat- 
ing with the deacon for the purchase of the meeting-house : the dea« 
con had named his price, and arrangements, we heard, were making 
to complete the bargain. Upon receiving this information, the 
church, encouraged by a kind friend, applied to Mr. Melledge for 
permission to treat for the house themselves, and offered the sum 
named by the deacon. Mr. Melledge assured the church, that the 
application could be of no avail, for the deacon's mind was made up^ 
tind fully determined, that Essex Street church should never possess 
it again, on any terms. The church failing in this application to the 
deacons, directed their attention immediately to some individuals of 
the sundry members, treating with the deacon in the purchase. The 
church represented to them the prior elaim of the church, the unjus- 
tifiable way in which the church and congregation had been driven 
out, and the propriety of the church being restored, especially as they 



&6 Church protests, 

BOW could meet the deacon's demand in a pecuniary way. But this 
appiication proved as unavailing as the other, and for the same rea- 
son, the deacon's /mZ/ conviction and firm determination. But, sirs, did 
the deacon's conviction and determination give the Park Street and 
Old South churches, or any members of them, a right and title to the 
meeting house raised, partly at the expense of, and wholly for, Es- 
sex Street Church ? did this justify these two great, and overgrown 
churches, or individuals of them, in assisting to drive a weak and 
poor church from their home, and then, to keep them out in the cold 
by buying the house out of their hands ? VVe thought not, and there- 
fore addressed the following remonstrance to Park Street and Old 
South churches— 

< To the Church of Christ, ^c. 

' Essex Street Church sojourning in Boylston Hall sendeth greeting, 

* Rev. and Beloved, 

' Whereas, it has been, upon good authority, reported to us, that 

* sundry members of your church, in association with some members of 

< the Old South Church, have in Cijntemplation, and in purpose, the 

* purchase of deacon Parker's share in the meeting-house, in Essex 

* Street — and that it is to be sold to them, upon condition, that Essex 

* Street Church shall never occupy it again. VVe, the members of Es- 

* sex Street Church, tiiink it probable, the said members of Park Street 

* are ignorant of the claim which Essex Street Church have upon 

< said meeting-house, or they are persuaded, that such members of 
^ your church would not agree to purchase said meeting-house, upon 

< terms that would prevent said church from occupying it, agreeable 

< to the tenour of the Records^ and of all the Deeds granted by dea- 
' con P. to proprietors of pews, already purchased, and sold. 

« We, the church of Essex Street, would not be wanting in feelings 
' and expressions of gratitude to Park Street and Old South churches, 
' were they to employ their kind offices, in endeavouring to restore us 
' to our place of worship : but we cannot look on. either with appro- 
' bation or indifference, while a plan is prosecuting, to deprive us of 

* our privilege of worshipping in future, in that house, from which we 
« were compelled, by circumstances not under onr own control, lately 
« to withdraw. 

' We are aware, that Park Street Church are not, in their collee- 

* tive and ecclesiastical capacity, acting in this business ; but if we are 
« rightly informed in the case, as it respects the above individual mem- 

< hers of both churches, they, in their individual capacity, are acting, 
' we think, to the great detriment of a whole church, and lessening 
' the privilege of a church, standing on the same ground of doctrine 

* and platform, as that church, we are hereby addressing. 



Protest unnoticed, 97 

* We farther declare, that we shall protest against any church be- 
ting settled in Essex Street meeting-house, except it be in the resto- 
' ration of E'^sex Street church, with all their privileges, as alreadj 
« granted, by Records and Deeds, given under the hand of deacon P. 

' We have not declared, on this subject, thus, for the sake of cou- 
' test and opposition : but we think it a duty we owe to the churches, 
' around us, to the opinion of wise and good men, as mcII as to our- 
' selves, that we should, in the face of late innovations, decidedly 
' stand to the rights and honours of a Congregational church. We 
' trust, the subject of this missive will be taken into immediate and 
' serious consideration by Park Street church, and acted upon, in be- 
* half of a whole church, in contradistinction to individual opinion, 
' and personal interest ; and we assure you, as a sister church, we 
' shall remain affectionately your's, &e. 

Whether this remonstrance was ever laid before the churches, or 
either of them, we know not, as no official reply was ever returned to 
the remonstrating church. This is, at least, the second disorderly 
act of the two churches towards an acknowledged sister church, their 
pastors being judges, and themselves witnesses. We shall presently 
see how promptly these two churches can attend to the application of 
schismatics, and go on to justify them in their disorderly proceed- 
ings. But we must stay you a moment, to look at the way in whicli 
the deacon settles acoounts, and how he pays our minister, at the close 
of meeting-house services. At the time when the deacon and his as- 
sociates applied for their dismission, Mr. S. had not been paid the 
amount of salary due up to the time of leaving the meeting-house. 
As this account remained unsettled, Mr. S. stated to the church, it 
was his opinion, that this account should be settled, before the deacon 
and his party were dismissed, or there would be some trouble in ob- 
taining a just and fair audit. Tl^ church were unwilling to admit a 
thought so prejudicial to a man, whose long standing should raise him 
above suspicion^ and therefore granted the demanded dismission. It 
has been our misfortune, all through this business, that we have been 
so frequently persuaded into a belief of things contrary to our judg- 
ment. We have scarcely had any thing before our eyes, but wrong 
and wrong doing, and yet, we have been persuaded, and have persuad- 
ed ourselves, that every such instance of wrong would be the last, 
and that these men would, at length, have some regard to their own 
characters, and, of course, do us justice. We shall now see how said 
account came to a close. Mr. S. demanded a ratio of a quarter's 
salary, amounting to S230,77, which was met as per uccouhl follow- 
ing— 

13 



98 



Church Accounts. 



Dr. Rev. J. S. in account. 

1818. 

Dec. To cash of James 

Melledge, ^37 00 

To ditto of Nathan 



Parker, 



37 50 



1820. 


75 


00 


Sept. To ditto of Jarae 


s 




Meliedge, 


G7 


00 


To ditto of Nathan 




Parker, as per 






note of hand, 


67 


00 


1822. 


209 


00 


April 6. To cash 


96 


77 



1820. 



Cr. 

By the two first 
sums relinquished, 75 00 



1822. 

\pril 6. By short credit 
on salary in ls>9 
and by amount of 
salary to the 3d 
of March, 1822, 
at S250 per quar- 
ter, 230 



SS05 77 - g305 77 

Errors excepted, 
Boston^ 6th of March (April) \^42. 

JAMES MELLEDGE. 

This account was not settled till the iSth of April. 

Mr. S. is williofij to admit the jMsh'ce of this account, hut we are 
very far from admitting (he righteousness of it. The relinquisliing the 
two first suras was nothing, to what Mr. S, relinquished to these 
men, upon coming to Boston : he relinquished the sum of 200 pounds 
sterling (S 88. 88.) which was considered in the advice of these gen- 
tlemen, when Mr. S. proposed coming from St. John's to this coun- 
try. It was also cruel to deduct the two under suras of g67 each out 
of such a scanty pittance as g230, especially when we consider Mr. 
S. had a family, eleven in number, to support ; and more especially 
still, when the deacon had instructed his council to award in justice 
remuneration for sacrifices made, and damage sustained, in the meet- 
ing-house. But still the account is admitted upon the score of jus- 
tice ; the next coming account we are sure, gentlemen, you will ad* 
mit, to be neither just, nor righteous. Mr. S. had claims upon the 
deacon for arrears in the contributions made at the sabbath evening 
lectures in Essex Street. The case was this, Mr. S. would engage to 
preach the evening lecture, without any pecuniary reward, provided 
no contributions were levied on the hearers : but the society chose 
rather, that contributions should be made, and that expressly for the 
benefit of the preacher; thus the lecture was established, and many 
of ihe hearers gave liberally the first year, purposely to benefit our 
minister, whose regular salary they thought too small, and, thus, 
^vished to make up the deficiency in some measure in this way. The 
lecture was regularly supplied for the two years we peaceably occupied 





S^4 


83 


S2 


00 




19 


14 




2i 


73 




4 


75 
17 




29 


00 






79 


81 



•Accounts examined. 99 

the house. The settlement of the lecture account as exhibited by the 
deacon stands thus. Observe, the actual expense of the lecture was, 
hy agreement, to be deducted from the amount of collections ! 

Essex Street Church to Rev. J. S. Dr. 

1821. To sabbath evening collections from Aug. 1, to Oct. 14. S26 85 
To ditto from Oct. 14. to Jan. 1, 1S22, 26 92 

To 17 gallons oil on hand Jan. l, at 85 cts. 14 45 

To 2^ cords wood do. at g6,67 15 01 

To 8 dozen lamp wicks at 20 cts. 1 60 



Contra, Cr. 
By Cash for lamp wicks 

By do. to for oil 

By do. to for wood 

By do. to for sawing 

By do. for wick yarn 
By do. to for oil 



Balance due Mr. Sabine g5 02 
Boston^ Jlpril i8th, 1822, Errors excepted, 

W. J. 

This account, as above exhibited, may not be comprehended by you, 
gentlemen ; indeed it is a strange thing! but it is tbe best detail of 
items which that worthy gentlemen, whose signature the copy bears, 
could get from the deacon's book : but we can develope some facts, 
which will, in part, account for the strange appearance of it. First. 
The deacon never intended that Mr. S. as lecturer, should have any 
part of the money collected on those occasions : the people gave with 
the view of Mr. S's, having it — the society intended it should be so— • 
their committee had so expected, and the deacon, too, had tacitly as- 
sented, but he was fully determined that Mr. S, never should have a 
dollar of it. This accounts for the omission of a whole year, 1820, 
in the statement: you perceive, sirs, that there is no mention of thiit 
date (1820,) not one item, either of what was received, or of what was 
expended : but we have an extract from the book of that date, ac- 
knowledging the amount of evening lecture contributions to bt gl83 
66. This item the deacon hides altogether from Mr. J. when he 
went on xMr. S's. behalf to ascertain what was due to him, or he de- 
clines giving this item as part of the account. Upon makins; up the 
accounts of the first year, it was perceived by the congregation, that 
the money which they had given expressly for the use of their minis- 
ter, was retained by the deacon; whereupon they urged the commit- 
tee to pass a formal vote. That Mr. S. should have the proceeds of the 
lecture, after actual exjjenses of said lecture should be j)aid. This v ote 



100 All a Deception — True Statement, 

was accordingly passed, but the deacon disapproved of it ; yet lie 
had it so formally and visibly before him, that he was obliged to sub- 
mit to it, or seem to do so — yes seem to submit to it, for this was all. 
Again, we look at the exhibite<l account. The two first items account 
for money received by collections from August 1, 1821 to January 1^ 
1822; amouuting to §33 77, but of the foregoing seven months i. e. 
January to July nothing is said as to what was collected, or expend- 
ed, we have therefore to look at the income, and expense of the lec- 
ture for five months August to December both included, a period of 
22 sabbath evenings, during which is collected g53 77, and expended 
Sis 75, the receipt is, per evening, about two dollars and a half, and 
the expense about g2 21 ; hut this expense is exceedingly questiona- 
ble. The quantity of wood and oil said to be consumed, as per this 
account, is so great, that it i- incredible. Xo wood could be wanted 
in the months of August, September, and October, so that the two 
months of November and December are the whole time in which this 
article could be wanted ; but during that short space, no such amount 
of wood could be consumed. The consumption of oil is liable to the 
same scrutiny. The fact is, sirs, that this account is a deception from 
beginning to end. The year 1820 is omitted altogether, that the 
gt83 56, of which Mr. S. had received nothing, might escape notice. 
And then the omission of the first seven months, in the following year 
1821, is a withholding of that information which was due, and leaving 
us in the dark: but on this space of time we have two items on our 
memoranda, the first is. that during the mouths of June and July, and 
running two sabbaths into August, there were no expenses incurred : 
no wood could be wanted, nor any oil, for the whole service was per- 
formed by day li^hf. The second item is, that the deacon handed over 
to Mr S. §26 00 during this period, as that sura, he said was due, be- 
ing over and above the expenses of the lecture during that part of 
the year. Now, sirs, we will in a few words, set before you the ac- 
count as it really stands, admitting the weekly ratio of S^ 50 during the 
whole year of 1821, five months of which are so accounted, within a 
trifle, by the deacon, to be correct, and which we do not dispute. 
Received by contributions 1820. as per deacon's book §183 56 

1821, at S2,50 per week 130 00 



313 56 
Expenses. One dollar per week (an ample sura) for 81 weeks, 
during 1820 and 182 1, the remaining 20 weeks 
having needed no wood nor oil 84 00 



229 56 

Mr. S. has received §26 and §5,02 31 02 

Balance still due to Mr. S. §198 B% 



Organizing' Council. iOl 

We have only to add, on this article, that the second year's contri- 
bution is much less than the former year, owing to the disgust the 
people took at the way in which their first year'^s bounty was applied; 
they had no faith in the deacon, and so gave but little, hut even this 
Jittfe we see, has been in great part withheld. We s^e then, that 
Essex Street stands indebted to our minister, a sum little less than 
g200 for one department of service, and this sum has been, and stiiJ 
is, withheld, under the sanction of an Ecclesiastical Council, of which 
Professor Woods was Moderator, and Dr. Codman an influential 
member; under the sanction of <Sw?2t/ri/ •;¥^mi>er6 in Park Street am! 
Old South churches ; under the eye, and with the assistance, of Mr. 
James Melledge; known to Mr. Morton, &c. &c. all professors of re- 
ligion. 

We proceed now to the form and service of organizing the new 
church. The dissatisfied members, as we have seen, were voted to 
be dismissed a few days after their application, namely on the 5th of 
April ; but two wholi- mouths elapse, before they can get ready for the 
resolved upon organization. What they were doing all this time we 
cannot say, except, that some part of it was occupied by the deacon, 
in shuffling our minister out of his rights and dues ; and, in arrange- 
ments, to sell the meeting-house to sundry members of the two 
churches; all of which, we deem to be repugnant to religion and 
good morals. And while the two Boston churches are treating Es- 
dex Street church with haughty contempt, in refusing to receive her 
letters, the deacon's Missive arrives, petitioning for organization, 
and this application, is as promptly received, as that, of the others, 
is promptly rejected. The lOth of June is the day fixed upon for 
this action, four churches are invited, namely, Boston two — Charles- 
town, and Newton. The day arrives, and these four churches, by 
their pastors and delegates, assemble in the vestry of Essex Street 
meeting-house : the pastor of Park Street excepted ; he was on that 
day from home. Upon ascertaining the hour of business, we dispatch- 
ed a messenger, with the two following remonstrances, by whom they 
were presented to the Moderator. 

< To the Council, to be convened, for organizing a church in Essea: 
* Street Meeting-house, June 10, t822. 

* Amidst all the difficulties with which we have been tried, we have 
' not found one more deeply impress our minds, than that which we are 

* about to meet. Gladly would we turn from the subject, if we did not 
' believe it to be our imperious duty — but we do believe it to be our 
' duty — and it accords with that line of conduct which has hitherto 

* marked bur way, and in which we feel that God has blessed us. 



102 Church protests. 

< Therefore we now hesitate not to pursue the same track, painful ai 
' it is, leaving the result to God. 

' We would observe, and we wish it to be distinctly known and un- 

< derstood, that we are not now opposing the formation of a church. 

* But we must protest against the organization of a church in this 
' meeting-house : The house in which Essex Street church, only, has 
' a right to worship, if the words of a man, and of a Christian can be 

* understood and relied on. 

' We Essex Street Church, do most solemnly protest, in the presence 

* of a just and omniscient God, before our Lord Jesus Christ, before 

* augels and men, that we think it unjust to form and settle any 

< church in Essex Street meeting-house, while the church in whose 

< name, and for whose single benefit it was built and consecrated, 

< exists. We appeal to this Christian Council, whether it is right 
' and jast, that Essex Street Church should be deprived of its privi- 

* leges, by any means how specious soever, against the principles of 

< Christian justice. 

< We are Essex Street Church, formed out of this neighbourhood, 

< as is our congregation also ; therefore, we think it would be sowing 
'the seeds of division and trouble to place another church, not Essex 

* Street Church, in this meeting-house ; which house Essex Street 
' Church has a right to open whenever it pleases. And to encroach 

< upon the neighbourhood of any minister's labours is acting in oppo- 
' silion to the spirit of a long established ecclesiastscal custom, now 
*in force in this State. 

* This meeting-house has been offered to members of other ehureh- 

* es, thereby tending to transfer the right of Essex Street Church, 
« without the knowledge or consent of said church, to said members, 

* upon the condition that said church shall never again occupy said 

* meeting-house. We have no intention to dispossess any individual 
' of his property in said house ; but we contend for that right which 
' Essex Street Church possesses, by Documents and Deeds sjiv- 

* en, in the names of deacons Parker and Melledge, on behalf of the 

* church. And as proof of what we now assert, we have, as some of 

* the members above referred to, know, offered to take said meeting- 

< house, at the price, at which deacon Parker offered it to others. 

' After reviewing the various Providences, which have been ming- 
^ led in the train of difficulties, in which this church has been involv- 
' ed, we see none, which, we think, countenances the opposition now 

< manifested, to the welfare of Essex Street Church. 

* Wha^t we have said is sufficient for our purpose. We shall use 

* no means but such as we have used already. The wrath of man 

* worketh not the glory of God : and we know, we cannot succeed by 



Mr. S* eoepostulates. 103 

« such means against the determinations of any body of men, who 
' have no regard to right or wrong : but we look with confidence to 

< this council for justice, integrity and candour: and it will be seen 
' by God himself, by angels and by men, whether this day's proceed- 
« ings will bear this character, or not. 

' We declare again, and again, that we have no desire to resist the 
^ efforts of Christians, to increase the number of true churches. No ! 

< we would rejoice in such a sight. But we cannot believe that it 
' would be for the glory of God, that a church already formed, should 
' suffer any encroachments upon its rights to provide support for a 
' church, not yet organized. We believe, that instead of dividing 
' the followers of Christ in this city, it would be more for his glory, 
' to unite with one heart, for the support of each other's interests, and 
' for resistance to his enemies, and to tbeir's. 

' This is, and has been, the most ardent prayer of Essex Street 

* church. And we, casting our burthen upon our Lord, rrust that he, 

< who has by his providence, and by his grace, gathered us into a 

< church, will continue to shed his light upon our path, and be a wall 
« of fire round about us. — - . 

« June 10, 1822.' 

< To the Ecclesiastical Council assembled, in Essex Street vestry, hu 

^ Letters Missive from deacon P. and other individuals, lately de- 

< manding dismission to council from Essex Street Church, June 10, 
« 1822. 

* Reverend and beloved Brethren, 

< The business before you this day, cannot be supposed, by any of 

* you, to be an affair with which 1 have no concern. You do know 

< brethren, it is an affair, in which my standing and labours as a niin- 
<is{er of Christ, are involved. Four years, nearly, have I laboured 

< in this city, my manner of life, my labours, and my success are be- 

< fore you. Have you any charge to bring against me .^ can you fix 

< on any part of my conduct, and say, as men of like passions, and 

< being also yourselves, in the body, that I am worthy only of your 
' opposition, or neglect. In glorying, I should speak foolishly, but 
<the Result of council of the 19th of February, speaks distinctiv on 

* this head, which some of you know, and if any of you know it not, 

< you are by no means qualified to act in the doings of this day. 1 am 

< now speaking, and have to speak, not as the organ of the church of 

< which I am the pastor, but as an individual minister, and fellow la- 
'bourer with you, in the same gospel, and, herein, I must bear my 
'testimony against the gathering of deacon P. with some others of 
Uhe number, now soliciting your ecclesiastical aid, into church 



404? Expostulation continued. 

« fellowship. The standing and conduct of these pergong in Essex 

< Street churcli for the last several months, previous to tlieir appliea- 

< tion for dismission, have by no means been becoming the gospel, as 

* some of you, brethren, also know. These individuals too, with the 

* rest, for they are dismissed in a body, are dismissed, without any 
^ testimony to their good standing. These oflfending members should 
^ have been disciplined, but the church was so weakened, by their 
' disorderly conduct, and finally, was so crippled by the result of the 
'council, before mentioned, that it was unable to exercise its rights, 

* and to discharge its duties. The moderator of that council, there- 
<fore, advised their dismission without discipline, and so they aredis- 

* missed with ail their wrong doing upon their heads. To such a dis- 
*mission my judgment never assented, but impelled by the seeming 

* necessity of the case. 1 consented. But, brethren, it now falls upon 
'^you, to exercise some discipline, and, with these things before you, 
*I cannot see, how you can take up these men, without doing it. 

' As it respects myself, as an individual, I have much, very much, 
'* against deacon P. and he knows 1 have. The direction in this case 
^ is plain, it runs thus, " Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, 
^ and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee, 
^ leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way : first be recon- 
^ ciled to thy brother," &c. Deacon P. cannot but remember, that I 
6 have much against him ; ray family, too, have much against him ; 
« their wants, in huijger and nakedness, cry against him. The above 

* direction may be retorted on me, but it does not, it should seem, apply 

< to me. Deacon P. has no charge against me, he says himself he 
« has not, he promises me " as good a character as pen can write," and 

* the above council under his instruction, as vvell, as by their own 
^ conviction, give me such a character. I have repeatedly offered 

* terms of reconciliation to deacon P. he has always declined them, 

* and, instead, has aggravated the sore. 

* Under these circnmstances, I am constrained to ask, What jhope 

* there can be of peace and harmony between such churches as you 
' are gathering into fellowship .^^You are it seems to me gathering 
'into fellowship a people, with one at their head, who will not be 

^disciplined; one who will not submit to the order and the authority 

* of any church. Hence, I cannot wish you God speed in the pro^ 

< posed labours of this day. Yet, 1 pray, y^iu Biay be directed to do 

< what is right, and if I am wrong, in my views or my actions, I trust | 

< the Lord will show it me, and give me repentance. 

« June 10, 1822. J. S.' 

We must now present our readers with the Result of thi» orgaaiz^ 
iiig council, entire. 



Organizing Result, 105 

' An Ecclesiastical Council was convened at the vestry in the Es- 

* sex Street Meeting House in Boston, on tlie lOtli day of June, A. D. 
< 1832, by letters missive from Nathan Parker and James Melledge, 
« who have been deacons in Essex Street Church ; requesting that 
« they and other professing Christians may be regularly organized 
*■ into a Christian church. 

' Present, the following churches by their pastors and delegates, viz. 
' The Second Church in Newton, Rev. William Greenough, pastor, 

* Bn. Benjamin Fuller, delegate ; First Church in Charlestown, Rev. 
'Warren Fay, pastor, Dn. Thomas Miller, delegate; Old South 
' Church in Boston, Rev. Benjamin B. Wisner, pastor, Dn. Josiah 

* Salisbury, delegate. Rev. Wm. Jenks, minister : the Church in Park 
' Street, Boston, Dn. Josiah Bumstead, delegate. The council wa^ 

* organized by choosing the Rev. William Greenough, Moderator, 

* and the Rev. B B. Wisner, Scribe. The council was opened with 
' prayer by the moderator. The council then proceeded to attend to 

* certain papers laid before them by the persons who signed the letters 
' missive, and to two communications, one from a committee of Essex 
' Street Church, the other from the Rev. James Sabine, pastor of 
' said church, protesting against the formation of the persons dismiss- 
' ed from Essex Street Church on the fifth of April last, into a new 
' church. The spectators were then requested to withdraw. The 

* council being alone, after considerable deliberation, unanimously 

* came to the following result, viz. whereas it appears from docu- 
' ments laid before this council that most of the persons who now de- 
' sire to be organized into a regular Christian church have been 

* members in regular standing in Essex Street Church, and were dis- 
' missed from said church on the 5th of April last for the purpose of 
' being formed into a new church of Christ, and whereas tw o protests, 

* one signed by a committee of the Essex Street Church, the other by 
' the Rev. James Sabine, pastor of said church, have been laid before 
' this council, in which it is stated that the *' standing and conduct of 

* some of the persons in Essex Street Church for the last several 
' months, previous to their application for a dismission had by no 

* means been becoming the Gospel ;" the council taking into conside- 

* ration the fact that these persons had been regularly dismissed, 
' without discipline, by the Essex Street Church for the express pur- 

* pose of being '* formed into a new church," and that the allegation 

* above quoted is altogether indefinite, and if of any weight, has been 
' already submitted to a mutual Ecclesiastical Council in February 
' last and dismissed by said council as not destroying or impeaching 
' the Christian standing of the parties ; resolved that it is not sufli- 

* cient to. hinder their proceeding to the duty assigned. 

14) 



106 jResuIt continued. 

' In the protests above mentioned was also contained a statement. 
' that, by certain terms of contract in the sale of pews in the Essex 
' Street meeting-house, jirevious to the late difficulties, the Essex 

* Street Church still have the right to the disposal of said meeting- 
< house. This question being in the judgment of the council a legal 
' one, is considered as not fairly lying before them, and the decision 
' of it therefore not incumbent on them. 

' Taking then into view the whole ground, the council have con- 

* eluded to embody the following professing Christians, who have ap- 
' plied to them for the purpose, into a regular church of our Lord 
' Jesus Christ, viz. 

Males. Females. 

* JSTnthan Parker^ Eunice Josselyn, 
' James JlelledgCf Jdary Ann How, 

' Joseph Morton, Mary Ann B. How, 

* Marquis F. Josselyn, Martha How, 

' Joseph J\*oyes, Catharine Thayer, 

* Marcus Howe, Deborah Howe. 

' The five males and the five females ^rs^ named having exhibited 
' to the council a certificate of their regular dismission from Essex 
' Street Church ; and the remaining two, Marcus and Deborah Howe, 

* a certificate of their regular dismission from the church of Christ in 

* Halifax. The confession of faith and the covenant, proposed to be 
' adopted by these persons as the platform and covenant of the con- 

* templated church, were then read by the scribe and unanimously ap- 
' proved by the council. 

' The persons above named were then called in ; the confession of 
<^ faith and the covenant read to them; and they having severally 
' signified their assent to and adoption of the same were declared by 
' the moderator in the name of the council, a regular church of our 
' Lord Jesus Christ. Prayer was then oft'ered by the Rev. Mr. Jenks. 
' Voted, unanimously, that the scribe furnish the church now con- 
' stituted with an attested copy of the record of the proceedings of 
' this council. 

' Voted, unanimously, to accept the above record as the true result 
' of this council. — Adjourned sine die. 
« Attest, 

' WILLIAM GREENOUGH, Moderator, 
« BENJAMIN B. WISNER, Scribe. 
< Boston, June 10, 1822.* 

We have had to do, heretofore, w ith only one couneil, which we 
denominated the council 5 but as we are come into contact with another 



Union Organization, 107 

^jouneil, and anolber result, and shall presently approach a third, 
we must for the sake of distinction, speak of First Council and Re- 
sult, 5'^conrf Council, and so on. With this provision, we shall pro- 
ceed to bring into view the circumstances, of this Second Council and 
Result. And here we have materials to prove, that Union Church, 
afterwards so called, is not in good ecclesiastical standing, among the 
churches of our order, because we can prove the declared organiza- 
tion to have been irregular — immoral — and unjust, 

Jlrticle 1. The declared organization was irregular. It was 

brought about by a long train of deception and artifice. We a«k our 
opponents to show the Christian public, one fair, open^ orderly step 
taken by the deacon, by the first council, by the two churches, or by 
second council, as leading directly to the formation of this new 
church, and we shall be ready to admit, and the public will admit, al- 
so, the good standing of this. Union Church; but if not we declare 
them illegitimate..^ — We need not go over the old ground of disorder 
and confusion, to establish this article, that is already before you. 
We will only glance at one artifice. The first council shuffle from 
the trial of the deacon's character, by saying. His long standing, ^c, 
^the second council shuffle off the same way, and evade all direct 
roads, to travel through lanes and by-ways. Is not this irregular ? 
When fraud will not do, then they have recourse to force. The 
church is broken by the iron rod of the first council, so as to be inca- 
pable of retaining these disorderly members, nor can she discipline 
them, either in retaining, or in dismissing them : the second council 
takes the advantage of ibis broken and weakened church, and in the 
plenitude of ecclesiastical power, proceeds to organize this mass of 
disorder; but is this regular and agreeable to the usages of the 
churches ? Fraud and force are mixed in the proceedings of these 
councils. Dr. Woods, of the first council, advises this '* afflicted and 
agitated church," to dismiss these dissatisfied members, without dis- 
cipline, all disorderly as they are, and the second council, he says, 
will do with them what is right. Well, and what does the second 
council do with them ? Why, it takes them just as they are, and by 
force of office declares them " a regular church.-' But let us com- 
pare this organizing result with letter of dismission. The letter ac- 
knowledges the application of 15 individuals, viz. 7 men and 8 wo- 
men : these, all of them, en masse, are committed by vote, to the 
judgment or acknowledgment of council ; the church also expects, 
that this council will sit in judgment before they are acknowledged : 
hence the church and pastor send to council protests and accusations. 
But there is no agreement between the doings of the church, so dis- 
missing these members, and the doings of the council, so acknowledg- 



lOS Irregular, 

ing them. This result acknowledges the offer of two individuals with 
letters from some country church, and accepts them, which is all 
proper enough, and when these two are added to the forementioned 
i5, we should expect to find on the acknowledging result 17, but in- 
stead of l7 we find only 12, viz. 6 males and 6 females ; and also the 
result makes no mention of this want of order, it takes no account of 
this discrepancy. To lay no stress upon the omission of the females, 
let us attend to the omission of the brethren, two are omitted, viz. 
Samuel Randall and Joshua Bean: the former of these can say why 
he was not acknowledged on the result, as he has. it seems, been ad- 
miJled to (he new church since. Mr. Bean is neither named, nor ac- 
knowledged in the result, nor accepted by the new church, since. 
Here is something irregular. Seven men are commilted to a council 
called by those same men, who have petitioned for permission to call 
said council, expressly for their organization; the council is called, 
and convened : but only 5 men appear and answer to their names, as 
expressed in the letter of dismission, yet the council go on to organ- 
ize this part of a part, this schism of a schism, without accounting to 
the church from whence they came, for this new rent in the little bo- 
dy they are about to acknowledge as " a regular church of our Lord 
Jesus Christ." Sirs, will you ask the old fathers of the platform, if 
this was their ordeal — But we learn, that Mr. Randall is, after the 
adjournment of council. (" adjourned sine die") accepted by the new 
church, or rather fi'cigment of a church, indeed only the fragment of 
B. fragment. —-How is this, what its order ? Mr Randall was dismiss- 
ed to a council, his own council; that council do not acknowledge him, 
they reject him, or they leave him out in their organizing result, his 
name does not stand there ; we conclude, that he with Bean, who is 
classed with Randall, is rejected, and not acknowledged. Looking 
at this fact, as it appears on the docket of the result, we conclude, 
that agreeable to the prayer of the remonstrances, discipline has been 
applied, and consequently, Randall and Bean are not acknowledged, 
as fil persons to come into church fellowship. But after some time, 
we cannot say how long, Randall is reported to have been received 
by the new church ; one thing is certain here, that this new church 
had no rule nor authority by which to receive this member, nor had 
this member any rule or advice by which to apply for admission. We 
now turn our attention to Bean. Mr. B. had just the same dismission 
as the others had, the same as the deacon himself had, but he is not 
named on the result— the council take no notice of him, they notice 
and name five others, but not Bean : they do not acknowledge nor re- 
ceive him ; nor do they, by letter or note, send him back again to his 
original watch and care, they leave him out in the wide world, neith- 



Immoral, lOd 

er elected, nor reprobated, by any distinct mark. What becomes of 
him we know not, all we know is that we dismissed him to a council, 
that council we know received the letter of* his dismission, and with- 
out any regular proceeding with him •' adjourned sine die," and we 
are left to conclude that Bean's church standing is adjourned, sine, die^ 
also. But is this mode of proceeding regular ? We have heard out 
of doors, and we give it upon such slender evidence, that the deacon, 
or some of his party, before organization, excommunicated poor Bean 
and forbade him coming to be organized, which accounts {'or the loss 
of him, in the result. If this be true, and if the council knew of ihis 
act of excision, it makes the matter worse, for it was the duty of the 
council to know what was become of him : the council may choose 
their alternative, in either case or in both together, the proceedings 
v/er^ disorderly-AwA irregular : and if Union Church has no better 
foundation to stand upon than this, her standing is very doubtful, and 
she needs some better support than she as yet possesses. — When Park 
Street Church was organized, it was not by the rule of Union Church. 
AVhen Essex Street Church in 1819 was organized in Boylston Hall, 
the claims and testimonials of the candidates were scrutinized and 
kenned over by learned divines, nor were they declared by council to 
be a regular church, till they had exhibited a very different order to 
that exhibited by the candidates of Union Church. If Park Street 
and Essex Street Churches were duly constituted, and regularly or- 
ganized, it was by a rule very different, essentially different, from that 
by which Union Church was constituted, whence we conclude, that 
Union Church, so called, is a spurious and disorderly company of 
professing Christians, and not a Congregational church upon the New 
England Platform ; and of course not entitled to fellowship as such, 

Jirt. 2. 1 he declared organization was immoral. The candidates 
for organization were accused and charged, with ''conduct by no 
means becoming the gospel." The council, wirh no better reason 
than the errors of the former council, screen them from discipline, 
and declare them in good standing in defiance of guilt charged and 
proved. This we hesitate not to pronounce immoral, and having a 
direct tendency to debase and demoralize the church of God. But it 
must be recollected, that the parties, so charging and accusing these 
candidates, offer terms of reconciliation, upon the rule of our LORD, 
Matthew v. 23, 34; and this council deliver them from this obliga- 
tion, and send them to the sacramental table, with all their guilt up- 
on their heads, with malice in their hearts, and their offended broth- 
er crying at their heels. What immorality ! What impiety ! I 

•irt. 3. We pronounce this act unjust. The church dismissing 
these candidates, protest against their organization and settlement in 



101 Unjust, 

Essex Street meeting-house, the church lajipg claim to that build- 
ing. — But the council waive a decision on these claims, le^iving this 
decision to legal authority, yet proceed, per force of office, to orga- 
nize these people on the prohibited spot, and some of the same men 
forming this council a few months afterwards, before any legal opin- 
ion was obtained, proceed to settle and install a minister in that very 
house, though they declare themselves ignorant of its merits, and in 
defiance of the protests and remonstrances of the oppressed and in- 
jured church. This we declare to be an act of injustice. 

Taking a more general view of the principle upon which this Un- 
ion Church stands, and considering this principle upon the broad 
scale of Christian morality, we cannot but pronounce its projection 
and organization, an outrage upon New Testament, and New Eng- 
land order; an outrage upon the principle so clearly laid down, and 
so contended for in the Result of first council. There the church is 
every thing — its interest above all worldly and personal cunsidera- 
fions. But we ask what Union Church has to stand on but worldly 
and personal considerations ? Here is a deacon, reputed for riches, 
and two or three others with him, who have a meeting-house in their 
possession, they come into possession of this house by worldly policy 
SLudL personal influence ; they have — vvorldly and physical power suf- 
ficient to retain it, at least for a time; and upon these considerations 
ALONE THEY BECOME A CHUKCH. Let Uuiou Church show, if she 
can, any other principle upon which she was instituted : let her par- 
ent councils show any other principle if they can. Indeed the fact 
of Union Church being a spurious branch, is evident upon her own 
history. After the lapse of a few months, from her organization, it 
was found by her creators, that the creature so formed was of no 
species, neither male nor female, that it had no capacity for propa- 
gating, and that all must come to a disgraceful end, without some 
new creation, or system of order and entity. Accordingly, Old South 
and Park Street churches, by a newly invented system of management, 
set ofif some ten or twelve brethren from their bodies, and send them 
to Essex Street, with full powers and capacities to neutralize and su- 
persede the deacon, and his unpropagating creatures. These some 
ten, twelve, or more, brethren, undergo the form of being dismissed 
from their original connexions, and of being received into the new 
church ; but laying aside all these blindiug and covering formalities, 
we discover that these brethren, from the other churches, are to be 
really the church ; and that all the form of organizing the deacon and 
his five colleagues was a mere farce, a mere pretext, by which Park 
Street and Old South might get a new meeting-house, on which they 
bestowed no labour, into their possession 5 and thereby have a branch 



Union Church nondescript. Ill 

church of their own making, and under their own control. Upon this 
new order of things at Essex Street, a ministry must be established, 
which could not, it was found, be settled upon the deacon's own 
system ; and how is this ministry to be established ? Does this new 
church, as an Independent or Congregational church, establish this 
ministry ? No they do not ! Park Street and Old South are the spring 
head of authority and support. Some members of these two church- 
es, enter into an engagement to subscribe a certain sum yearly for 
five years, to the amount of some five or seven hundred dollars, by 
which to support Uuion Church pastor. And now the thing stands out 
before the world ; Union Church is a branch of Old South and Park 
Street churches ; as organized it was nothing; it should seem it was 
intended to be nothing ; except that it was to be a cover for all 
this management and finesse, by which these two churches might 
rob the original Essex Street Church of their meeting-house, and 
be enabled to put into that house a creature of their own. Union 
Church is its name^ this name was a^^sumed on the receiving of the 
new members, and so it is not a Congregational church upon the New 
England platform, but a non-descript society, upon a new Union 
platform. As the case now stands in its own facts and circumstances, 
let the Christian community judge, and we will abide by their de- 
cision. 



LETTER IX, 

State of the church in Boylston Hall— Settlement of Union Society— Trust Deed of no legal value— Do* 
ings at Mr. Green's installation— Remarks thereon— Arbitrary ecclesiastical proceedings censured— 
Why not connected with Union Churches— Sister brethren sought out— High ground taken by sister 
churches— Question in Convention; probable cause of its defeat and shameful fall— Hint to Mr. Green 
and his friends at Essex Street Meeting-house. 

Essex Street church and society being now completely driven 
from their ground, and safely exiled in Boylston Hall, the new church 
begins to think of securing her settlement in the meeting-house. Boyls- 
ton Hall people having no regular house of worship, and no means 
of procuring one, and being an afflicted and poor people must go down. 
The excitement, on their removal and expulsion, will soon be over, and 
laid to rest : the merit or demerit of the case will soon cease to be 
agitated, and the public eye will rest with complacency upon a people 
neatly housed, in a decent place of worship : persons, looking out 
for spiritual teaching and communion, will never think of going to a 
Hall over a place of public business ; Essex Street house must at- 
tract, and the support of the ministry here, too, will be splendid; 
three churches are engaged to furnish a salary : poverty also, must 
soon overtake the Hall folks, and they of course must go down. Yes. 



113 Union Trust Deed, 

sirs, we saw and felt this and see and feel it still. But the LORD is 
a GOD of knowledge, and, by him, actions are vveii^hed. And He 
hath said * Though hand be joined in hand, (wrong doers) shall not 
go unpunished.' But « he that hath clean hands (though single hand- 
ed) shall be stronger and stronger.' To that GOD, we committed our 
cause, and in him we still rest. God is our witness, that we do not 
lie. The new settlement of the meeting house is now to be considered. 
Essex Street church, from the first, were obliged to stay themselves 
with the deacon's pro?w,ises. He joromiserf to secure the house to the 
church, he promised to do it at some future time, when his money should 
be secured to him. To some pew purchasers he gave deeds, to others 
he gave none, but both were promised security, and both it seems were 
equally secure, for the pew deed as Mr. Melledge declared to Mr. G. 
was not worth a feather. Hence Union church cannot be satisfied 
with the deacon's promises, she must have something more : sundry 
members from Park Street and Old South came to Essex Street, in or- 
der to possess and control the meeting-house, and they are determin- 
ed to have the matter secure ; they cannot trust the deacon ; though 
his long standing raises him above suspicion, they suspect his prom- 
ises to be not worth a feather, and so they proceed to fasten him by 
seal and sign manual. 

Essex Street new society, or Union Church as it is more properly 
called, for a Congregational church we are persuaded it is not, is now 
said to be settled and established by a Board of Trustees, or a Trust 
Deed, authorizing a certain number of Trustees to act between the 
Proprietors of the house, and the church. The duty of these Trus- 
tees is to see, that the Proprietors do not control their property in said 
house, not in the way that is usual with pew holders in meeting-hous- 
es, in general. The letter of the Deed runs thus, " It being well un- 
derstood, that no proprietor of pews, who are not members of said 
church ( Union Church) shall ever have a voice or be allowed to take 
any part or to act in the said business, either directly or indirectly^ 
and that their title and right, interest and property in pews shall ever 
he subject to these incumbrances and restrictions and reservations/^ 
The declaration in this Deed is very plain ; no one can mistake its 
meaning — it plainly says, that pew proprietors shall not have any 
control over their property, as pew proprietors usually have. We 
have now to show, that the spirit of this deed, and its action, are in 
defiance of high authority. First, this deed is in defiance of ecclesi- 
astical council ; for the council of Essex Street, February, 1822, de- 
clare in their Result, that the proprietors of the house must control 
their property ; they give this as their opinion after they knew that 
the deac#n had, under his own hand, given the pew proprietors 



Contrary to CounciL 113 

right to the church ; still they say " of course''^ it must he so. it is in 
the nature and fitness of things ; we suppose the council meant, a 
tiling in the course of law and justice, and indeed this opinion of the 
course* which might be taken, induced, in a great measure, the church 
to withdraw from the meeting-house. You see, sirs, that it is a set- 
tled maxim with Dr. Woods and his council, that the proprietors 
must of course control their jJroperty, whiah is in direct opposition 
to this new deed. Had the parties in Union Church establishment, 
only consulted this Result of council, and they ought to have so done, 
for it was a child of their own, they would not surely have gone coun- 
ter to its express testimony — this Result is their strong hold, by it 
they jostled the original church out of the meeting-house, and then, 
in defiance of that church, wriggled them-selves in. Either this Re- 
sult is a fable, or the Deed of Trust is, they may choose their alter- 
native. And this comparing of the First Result and First JJeed, at 
once goes to show, that the standing of the Union Church is at least 
doubtful. If the opinion in the said Result bo correct, namely, that the 
proprietors must control the property, then Union Church cannot con- 
trol it, and the Deed is a deception. Or, if the doctrine asserted in 
the Deed be correct, then, the control of the property is with the 
original church, and that churcli is in the first legal possession of it, 
and the assumptions of Union Church are illegal and unjust. Here 
again, our oppressors may choose their alternative. But, sirs, we 
lay no stress upon the opinions given in that Result of council, it 
is so inconsistent with itself, as we have already seen, that little de- 
pendence can be placed upon it. We shall therefore, in the second 
place, look at the standing of Union Church, through the medium of 
Statute Law. There is but one law in Massachusetts for the con- 
trol of property in meeting houses, of the standing order : every sta- 
tute, granted by the legislature to religious societies, gives the con- 
trol of the property to the proprietors, and not to the church : and 
even in those societies, of any age, to which no statute or act of in- 
corporation has been granted, even in these, the property is control- 
ed and managed in the same way as where the statute is possessed. 
This is the lawful way of managing meetii.g-house property, and 
to manage such property, as this Deed directs, is unlawful, not only 
wanting in law, but against, and opposed to law. This is evident, 
from the Legislature refusing to grant the petition of Essex Street, in 
the year 1820. Essex Street prayed that the church might control the 
properly, the Legislature said it was unconstitutional and unlawful 
for the church to control the property. But the advocates of the 
Trust Deed say, that this Deed is law, and lawful enough to secure 
this right and privilege to Union Church. But we ask whether an 
15 



114; Contrary to Statute Law. 

attorney can sit down, in his private office, and prepare a deed that 
shiill have a legal character, which the General C-'ourt cannot give? 
Can a private man or, any body of privale men, make a thing lawful, 
which the Legislature cannot make lawful ? But still furliier. The 
advocates of this Deed-scheme assert, that pew proprietors in meet- 
ing-houses, can give up the conirol of J heir property to a certain num- 
ber of members in a church, wiih as much propriety, as possessors of 
property, in other concerns, can give up their rights and privileges 
to whom they please. If they can, %ve ask by what law ? The liCgis- 
lature says there is none, and this Deed itself says there is none: for 
this Deed for want oY statute, custom or usage, sets up itself for law 
in this case, and says, that the proprietors shall not exercise their 
rights, and it makes them sign an instrument in which they promise 
not to exercise said rights, and then to strengthen this weak place, 
says, that if the proprietors should go from their promise, and assert 
their rights, then this Deed — this unlawful Deed, shall be set up as a 
bar against the suit ; which amounts to this, That, that which is un- 
lawful, shall be set up against that which is lawful. Still it is urg' 
ed that pew proprietors may give up their rights if they please, as 
well as other men : and it is admitted that pew proprietors may de- 
cline to exercise their ecclesiastical franchise and right if they please, 
but they cannot give that franchise and right to the church, because 
the liCgislature says, that the church has no legal capacity to re- 
ceive and exercise them. If the pew proprietors will give up their 
property to the church, or to chosen individuals, in the church, if the 
proprietors will convey as a gift their property, right and all, 
to others in the church, or out of it, it will no doubt be admitted ; but 
this is not what the Deed goes to eft'ect : the object of this deed, is to 
hold the pew proprietors to the posse«ision of their property, and to 
tax them upon it, as is the case in all lawfully constituted societies, 
and then deprive them of their right to vote upon the application and 
use of their property, which is altogether unlawful: and if Union 
church has no better foundation than this to stand upon, it is an un- 
lawful and uneonstituted cabal ; and no church, nor religious society, 
of the standing order. 

But if it could be admitted, that this Trust Deed were a legal and 
constitutional instrument, in itself considered — the way, in which this 
particular case has been gotten up, and the Deed, executed, has been 
irregular and unlawful. Before this Deed was prepared, it is presum- 
ed the deacon will admit, that the proprietors had all those rights 
common to pew holders, for this Deed was designed to take these 
rights away, which this deed could not be expected to do.^f the pro- 
prietors had no right to surrender : it must then be admitted that the 



Union Church not Jpgal. 115 

proprietors had these rights when, and before, this Defd was con- 
templated. It will then be admiited. that these riglils couM not be 
taken from the possessors of them, without their eonse?it — and tliat 
such consent, if obtained of them, must be obtained in a lej^nl and or- 
derly way, that lesjal and orderly way must be, in a duly called and 
regular assembly of said proprietors, at which meetiui- every propri- 
etor has opportunity to attend, by knowing when. an<l where, and for 
what, ^he meeting is to he held. Now, sirs, we can prove, from the 
affidavits of several of these proprietors, that no such meeting was 
ever held, and. that these several proprietors never knew any thing 
of this Dciid fill it v\as said to be executed, and was absolutely re- 
corded in the Register's Office. The deacon's plan of doing public 
business, as we have usually seen, was never by public and legal meet- 
ings. 80 here, this New Deed cannot be conlemplafed and resolved 
upon, in legal assembly of the pjoprietors ; but a written proposal 
was handed round to several of the proprietors, with a statement, 
that this proposed measure would make the property at Essex Street 
more valuable, without \\hich it must go down; this statement drew 
some into the snare, and they signed this proposal, which they have 
since repented of, and still declare, that this was a deception prac- 
tised upon them by the artifice of the deacon, and his friends, ia 
"sister churches." So the matter turns out, at last: at first, the 
deacon says his proceedings are for the " glory of God ;'' Mr. Mor- 
ton is instructed to say. that the usefulness of the minister, and the 
cause of the dear Redeemer require these steps ; the councilsay, that 
nothing can be considered but the spiritual interest of the church : 
now, it is to make the property good, and to secure the meeting-house 
interest. O tempora ! O mores ! It is needless to say, that such a 
deed, so prepared and executed, is of no legal value. This Deed, 
sirs, we afterwards learnt was gotten up drawn out and approved of 
and we may add, executed, by sundry brethren of the sister churches, 
without Essex Street Church being consulted or acknowledged, in the 
matter at all. And we are sorry to see so many fair names — names 
of fair, and even high, reputation, subscribed to this illegal, unjust 
and irregular proceeding. We are satisfied, that these gentlemen 
whose names are attached to this Deed, were for the most part, de- 
ceived, and cajoled 5 but it is to be lamented, that they had not tak- 
en a solemn review of the transaction, bel'ore the\ suffered themselves 
to be embarked, in so unhandsome a scheme. Thus the evidence is 
before you, and you shall judge, whether Union Church has any le- 
gal and orderly standing, among the Congregational churches of Mas- 
sachusetts. ^ 

Upon this declared settlement of Union Church, a minister was to 



116 Circular to Council elect. 

be sought, and the Rev. Samuel Green of* Reading, was fixed upon, 
and called. While the matter was pending, Mr. G. was called upon 
seriously, and begged with seriousness, to go to Boston and look inlo 
the case with his own eyes^ and judge with his own judgment. Mr. 
G. received these hints in a very becoming and Christian like temper, 
as he acknovvledgpd they were given, but had evidently made up his 
mind upon the subject, with only ex-parte evidence before him, and 
so hfc concluded to settle at Essex Street. The day for Installation, 
and council elect, being made known to us, we thought it proper to 
address the members of that body, and inform them, that we consi- 
dered ourselves aggrieved by such a proceeding, especially, as a new 
minister was to be settled among a people, who had not done justice 
to us, as a church, nor to our minister, as their former pastor and teach- 
er. The following is the document sent as a circular to council elect, 
which is the third council now upon our memoir : by this paper will 
be seen the steps taken with the deacons, on this occasion. 

' To the Council Elect for the Installation of Rev. Samuel Green at 
< Essex Street, Boston, 

< A desire that there should be no breaking in upon the solemnities 
^of Mr. Green's installation, induces the dispatch of this circular. 
'The under-written document will show to Council elect the state of 
' matters at Essex Street, and prevent any just complaint in future, on 
'their part, that they were taken by surprise, or called, unprepared, to 
'answer in a question, which they did not consider to be in agitation. 
' The Essex Street church, congregation and pastor (now worship- 
' ping in Boylston Hall,) consider themselves as a body injured, op- 
' pressed and maletreated, by a series of measures, systematically pur- 
'sued by the Society occupying Essex Street meeting-house. For a 
'year past, the said church and pastor, though officially declared to 
' be in good standing, have been uniformly, by said society in Essex 
' Street, and their abettors, slandered, scorned, and contemned. Ev- 
' ery petition for a fair hearing has been, and still is resisted, and in 
' such a M ay, too, as might be deemed almost impossible in the con- 
' duct of professing brethren. One opportunity more offers of mak- 
' ing complaint; and an appeal again is made to an Ecclesiastical 
'council, which it is said, and thought, by many, cannot be made in 
' vain. As the matter yet stands. Essex Street Church think, there 
' is no way open for the proceedings contemplated on the 26th of the 
' present month. Your kind and rigliteous offices in the ease are 
' humbly solicited. The case is introduced in the following doeu- 
' raent, which has been laid before those whom it immediately con- 
^ eerns, but without being regarded.' 



Continued. Ii7 

* (Cop</ of Document sent to Socidy in Essex Street.) 

' To Messrs jV. Parker Sf J. Jletledge late Deacons of Essex Street 

' Churchy or others whom it may concern. 

* Whereas it has been reported to this church, that the Society oc- 

' cupying Essex Street meeting-house, do intend, and are about to set- 

' ilea minister in said meeting-house. This church is also informed, 

* that in consequence of said purpose of settling a minister, pecuniary 
' arrangpment§ have been making, with sundry pew proprietors in said 
'house, wlio are still united with Essex Street church and congrega- 
' tion ; and that in consequence of these arrangements, the said pew 
' proprietors will cease to urge the right of Essex Street church, in 
' having an ecclesiastical claim upon said house. This church be- 
' lieve it to be incumbent on them to declare it as their opinion, (in 
' which opinion they are happy to be supported by clergymen, and 
' many others of undoubted character,) that the way to the intended 

* settlement of a minister is not fairly opened, until some pecuniary ar- 
' rangements are made with our pastor, Mr. Sabine. This churcli 
' cannot but feel the great inconvenience, and even damage, they have 

< sustained in being necessitated to remove from Essex Street meeting- 
' house, especially, after so much labour on their part consecrated to 
' that building, and do consider themselves as entitled in justice to 
'some acknowledgment; but this they are willing to waive. Yet 

* when they call to mind the principal, procuring, and more immedi- 
' ate, cause of their calamity in the unwarrantable adtice (though 
' we think it might have been an error in judgmeni) for the dismission 
' of our minister, given by the Council of February, iS22, they cannot 

* but press the importance and justice of said Society meeting our 

* pastor's claims. It must be remembered that the said Council of 
' February, 1832, in their Result declare, that. In consideration of 
' the various sacrifices which JSIr. Sabine has made, together with the 

< circumstances of his family, the Council think he is entitled in jus- 
' tice to some pecuniary consideration. This church, with many oth- 
' ers, cannot but be struck with the distinct phraseology of the pas- 
' sage just recited, namely, that Mr. Sabine is entitled in justice to 
' pecuniary consideration for sacrifices which he has made, not which 
' he is yet expected to make. Those sacrifices w hich he may yet be ex- 
' pected to make, the Council consider in a subsequent article, thus, 
« In case he shall comply with the advice given, and in case such com- 
' pliance shall render it necessary for him to leave this town and re- 
' move to some other field of labour, then, ive do unitedly give the ad- 
' DiTiONAL ADVICE that there shall be granted to him the amount of a 
* yearns salary,, a thousand dollars. It is the ojiiuion of this church, 
' in which opinion they are supported by observers, that all the pe- 



118 ♦ Continued. 

' cuniary damage vvhieh would have resulted to Mr. Sabine from being 
^ compfiled to leave the town, has fallen upon him in the new field of 

* labour he occupies, thousjh he has not left the town, and that this evil 

< has fallen upon hira through the advice given in that Result, and 
« that this advice was not warranted, (though we still think it might 

< have been an error in judgment,) this church can declare, not only 

* from theirown knowledge, but can prove, from the testimony of cler- 
'gyraen, and others, present at the church meeting when Council was 

* mutually agreed upon. 

' These circumstances therefore taken inlo consideration, induce the 
'church to declare, which they do by unanimous 

' Vote. That it is the opinion of this church that the people occu- 

* pying Essex Street meeting-house cannot, in justice, and in the face of 
*God and man, proceed to settle a minister, till they have paid Mr. 

* Sabine the sum awarded him by Council ; and that they do justify 
' Mr. S. in making application to the Society in E^sex Street for it. 

' Voted again. I'hat Messrs. Young and t^dv\ards be a Commit- 
' tee to wait on the Society in Essex Street, or any of them whom it 

* may concern, with the claim of Mr. Sabine, and to receive their re- 

' ply. 

< Done in the meeting of Essex Street Church, March 10, 1823. 

'T. E. Clerk. 

«J. S. Moderator.^ 

« To Messrs. JV*. Parker ^ J. Melledge^ late Deacons of Essex 

' Street Church, or others whom it may concern. 
' Gentlemen, 

' B\ the above declaration and votes of Essex Street Church, you 
' will perceive the object of this address. Messrs. Y. & E. are my 

* agents to claim and receive the sum of one thousand dollars award- 
<ed me by Coiineil. 1 think you will consider this measure as peace- 

< frauglu. and I trust that by compliance you will prevent the neces- 

< sity of anv other appeal. 

'Gentlemen, your's respectfully, 

'J. S. 
« Boston, March 12, 1823.' 

The following letter from Mr, S. accompanied the circular. 

' To the Rev. Professor Woods. 
« Rev. Sir, 

' The unsettled state of affairs at Essex Street I presume is well 

< known to you. But you must perceive, that things cannot remain so, 
' if you will proceed to the installation of Mr. Green. 1 am persuaded, 
' that you could do much towards setting things right. The long and 



Continued. 119 

industriously propagated story, of my having gone from result of 
Council, is at an end. Gentlemen who were prejsent at (he church 
meeting, when Council was agreed upon, openly exonerate me from 
any obligation to abide by the advice given in tliat result, and that 
because, as, I always declared (even in your official presence) the 
said result was quite aside the question I had agreed to meet. 
But the injury sustained by me, and the church, is great, as you 
know. We ask remuneration. We want a meeting-bouse, but 
have not ample means to raise one. Sixteen months labour 1 gave 
towards that house erected in Essex Street. I cannot give the same 
labour again, towards another house, till I have been repaid the sac- 
rifice made in the former house. You speak of ray " Sacrifice" and 
of my title " in justice to pecuniary consideration." This, sir, is 
what we now demand, and we expect it upon the honour of your Re- 
sult. Our claim is increased, by the damage we have sustained 
from the mistaken view of that result, and indeed, whatever be the 
view taken of the subject, our claim is increased. My " family," 
of which you speak also, is plunged into distress, their affliction and 
their wants are numerous, nor is it in the power of my people to 
make up deficiencies, occasioned by such means. Will you, my 
dear sir, look to these things immediately. I say again, you can 
do much, and the church of God looks to you for help, and for 
countenance. 

'3, S.' 

Mr. S. in his own name, addressed them on their session, in the 
following note. 

' To the Council^ in session, for the Installation of Rev, S. Green, at 
' Essex Street, Boston, 

* Rev. Moderator, 

' The circular, of which you were in possession a few days since, 
' introduces the subject of this address. The state of affairs, at Essex 
' Street, can be no longer a secret withheld from you. It was a desir- 
' able object, that nothing should occur to interrupt those solemnities, 
' to engage in which you are assembled this day. But it is to be de- 
< clared to you, down to the date of this morning, that the way is still 
' unprepared for the installation of a minister at Essex Street meeting- 
' house. The society, assembling in that place, have not met, nor 
' even noticed^ the claim made by vote of Essex Street Church, in be- 

* half of their pastor. It only remains for me to say. Rev. sir, that I 
' have relied on the honour of the Council of the date of February, 

* 1822. " In justice" the Result of that council says I am entitled 
" to pecuniary consideration," but that consideration I have as yet 



120 Vote of Installing Council. 

* demanded in vain. It will be unnecessary for me fo 50 into detail, 

< at this time ; to several members of council the w hole matter is well 

* known; I only appeal, therefore, to their justice, and sense of pro- 
' priety. If I am denied before you, 1 am compelled to appeal to a 
« higher tribunal — the consequences must fall somewhere, and doubt- 

* less they will fall finally on the delinquent. The steps you are now 

< taking, sir, are such as must drive asunder the best interests of the 

* orthodox churches of this city. The error fallen into on February 
« 19 and 20, 1822, led to the disorder in the projected organization of 

* a Union Church, June 10, 1822 — the error acted upon, and persisted 

< in, at this organization, produces the council for installing Mr. 
' Green this day. and where this matter of error is leading to, it be- 

* Comes you to look. 

' In consideration of all the circumstances, particularly, my objee- 

* tion to the proceedings, contemplated this day, I am desirous to be 

* heard by counsel, before your ecclesiastical body, and du, therefore, 
' wait to be permitted so to do. J. S.' 

These appeals and remonstrances resulted in the following brief 
paper, handed to Mr. S. by a committee. 

* A com Jtunication from the Rev. Mr. Sabine having been read, 
« Voted, that on reading the document laid before the council by the 
' Rev. Mr. Sabine, the subject, as relating solely to a pecuniary claim 
« against individuals, appears to be one, which the council cannot 

< properly consider. Voted, that the Rev. Mr. Cornelius, and deacon 

< Evarts, be a committee, to communicate the above vote to the Rev. 
' Mr. Sabine. 

* A true copy from records of Council. 
(Signed by the Scribe.) 
« Marlboro^ HoteL Wednesday morning, 11 o^clock, March 26, 1823.' 

We have but one remark to make on these proceedings, and on this 
communication. There are no less than five reverend gentlemen, on 
this installing council, who were on Mr, S's. trying council, these 
five clergymen, in unison with their colleagues in the trying council, 
raise Mr. S. above all accusation, and award him a sum indefinite for 
sacrifices made, and a thousand dollars for damages then coming up- 
on him by their result — this sacrifice and damage Mr. S. endures, and 
of this, he complains to the same gentlemen united with others in a 
new council, convened, expressly for the purpose of adding to Mr. 
S's. damages : but now they declare by vote, that this " pecuniary 
claim" they " cannot properly consider." Sirs, will you give us your 
opinion, on this new article, in the progress, and proceedings of ec- 
clesiastical council ? will you inform us, upon what moral principle 



Answer to Inquiry. 121 

these reverend counsellors, advise, and vote, an acquitted brother 
damages, and then advise and vote that they " cannot properly con- 
sider" that brother's " pecuniary claims ?" We have only to add, on 
this article, that here is another proof, at least strong ground for pre- 
sumption, that the award of a thousand dollars, and joecimiary con' 
sideration advised, in the first Result, were all a deception, "part 
and parcel" of the deacon's devices. 

We are now come to a period of our history, that will give an an- 
swer to your last inquiry, '• Why we are denied the privilege of 
" meeting, and taking a part, with the Union Churches, so called, in 
" Boston, when assembled for the purposes of social worship in their 
" prayer meetings." You must have perceived, sirs, that on the part of 
sundry members, in sister churches, and the most induential of them, 
too, there has been a constant striving, to put down and shut out the 
church originally settled in Essex Street: to accomplish this, the 
Union Church was fabricated, and out of this fabrication arose the 
"Union Churches so called, in Boston," to use your words, and in- 
deed, your phraseology is correct, for Old South, Park Street, and 
Union Church, have been repeatedly represented, as such: many a 
fulsome paper have we seen in the public prints, setting forth the 
high standing and spiritual prosperity of the three churches, in Bos- 
ton. We must not conceal, that we might have come in for a /iM7U- 
6^e share of this glory, if we could have played the hypocrite, and 
have dissembled : if we could have held our peace, upon the iniquity 
of Union Church proceedings — if we could have declared that to have 
been false, which we knew to have been true, or that to have been 
true, which we knew to have been false — yes, sirs, then we might 
have added an unit to the Union Churches — But this was impos- 
sible ; to have acknowledged Essex Street people, and to have gone 
with them Vo their solemn feasts, would have been for the family of 
Naboth to have accepted an invitation to feast and to play, on Ahab's 
accession to their father's vineyard. From the monthly concert of 
prayer, you have seen, we were begged to withdraw, by some mem- 
bers of the churches, and begged to return by the ministers themselves, 
and though we think, this act of the ministers entitles them to our 
respect, yet we can hardly say which is best, to go to the concert, or 
to stay away: every body must see, if we go, that the concert is more 
in name than in reality. Christian love, in the harmonious exercise 
of all good feelings, is a fine thing — but the mere appearance of it, 
the feigning of it, what is that ! it is worse than open hostility. As to 
nnion of pulpits, there can be none; no exchange between the Hall 
and the two churches : these, " some members of the churches," will 
not suffer Mr. S. to appear in their pulpits, so that there is no coui- 
16 



122 Sister Brethren coming out, 

munion in theology, any more, than in devotion. This, then, is the 
best account we can give of our non-intercourse with '* the Union 
Churches, so called, in Boston." 

You perceive, sirs, that through the greater part of our memoir, 
we have had to complain of irregular, unecelesiastical and undisci- 
plined, proceedings, on the part of ouropposers, and oppressors. Our 
adversaries have seldom come out boldly in the face of day; either 
themselves, or their measures, have usually been under some disguise, 
or fictitious appearance. We have never had a fair view of nur ad- 
versaries : we apprehend the deacon, and suppose we have him in a 
tangible shape, and behold, Mr. Codman appears; we appeal to him, 
but he has no authority from the deacon : he only acts as a prival^e 
friend — we return to the deacon, and then, to elude our apprehen- 
sion, he raises up a majority of the cliurch, and society — we look for 
these, but find, that neither of these bodies have been in session — again 
we return to the deacon — then he assumes the interferance of ^' some 
brefhrm of sister churches*^ — we appeal lo thesesister churches, but our 
appeal and remonstrance are in vain, these sister brethren, are in the 
dark, and these xiister churches conceal them. Now, sirs, we intend, 
to fix your attention a liilie on these *• Brethren of sister churches,^^ 
and we must call upon you to assist us in bringing them to light. 
These " Brethren''^ first are heard of on the 8th of January, iH22 (see 
page 33) when by their " advice," our firsf regular church meet- 
ing was set aside These " Brethren''^ are heard of again, when they 
confer with the deacon, on the purchase of the meeting-house. These 
** Brethren,^^ or some of them, are named in E*sex Street vesfy, 
when the Trust Deed for Union Church is to be accepted. A list 
of these *• Brethren^'^^ at least the names of some of them, is to be 
seen now in the Register of Deed's Office, on the record of this said 
Trust Deed. Having opened these sources of information, we shall 
leave these '•^ Brethren'^^ with you, at least for a time, while we en- 
deavour to show you into what a state of trouble and shame these 
proceedings, of Sister churches, or sister brethren, have brought the 
cjiurch of Christ, and the orthodox religion, of Massachusetts. 

We wish you, gentlemen, to impress upon these " sister churches''^ 
their great responsibility, from the high ground they have taken a- 
mong the Congregational churches of New England, but especially of 
Massachusetts. On this high ground, Park Street stands on the sum- 
mit, and it is by her means, that Old South has been drawn into a 
variety of measures, which that respectable and venerable society had 
never thought of, but for the persuasions and machinations of her 
young sister, or daughter, at Park Street. This aspiring church aims 
at precedence and rule, and if it were content with a moderate share, 



»5w aspiring Church, 12Z 

its swellings and assumptions might be borne with, but when we look 
at its strides, its iron hand, its threatening aspect and after alJ its in- 
competency, we ar^ compelled to speak in terms, which we should 
rather have repressed. The incompetency of this church to what it 
has undertaken, and the way in which it has been shorn of its glory, 
demand a timely stricture, especially, as these things may be found 
to connect themselves more closely with our history, than many are 
aware of. 

Two years ago, from last May, it will be remembered by many, 
that Park Street made great efforts to assemble a large body of the 
clergy in Convention, accordingly, provision was made for their en- 
tertainment ; and a much larger number of orthodox ministers as- 
sembled, than was ever known, on any former occasion. It was pres- 
ently seen, in convention, that the Trinitarian churches far exceeded, 
in number, those of the Unitarian faith; and that the ministers of 
such could, at pleasure, out vote their liberal brethren, on any ques- 
tion that might come before Convention. On this session a question 
was proposed, on the character of a Congregational Church, which 
excited no small uneasiness in the great body. This question, every 
one could see, came from Dedham, or by occasion of the church, in 
that town. Great opposition was manifested to the trial of this ques- 
tion, both, by many of the liberal, and, by some of the orthodox clergy. 
It was however loudly declared by some, that the time was come, or 
near at hand, when Trinitarians and Unitarians must divide in Con- 
vention: and it was intended, that the question should be left in due 
form, for consideration the next year; but owing to some informality 
on the part of its advocates, the question fell through. The year 
following (1832) the question was revived and introduced in a new 
shape, namely " What constitutes a Church of Christ, with which 
" Christians may hold communion, and be warranted in acknowledg- 
" ing^ as siichP^ This question was fixed for discussion, with great 
eclat, for, a still greater number of orthodox were present, than on 
the former year. A Committee was chosen, to whom the subject was 
referred, with instruction to report next session of Convention. The 
circumstances of this session need not be delineated here, they are all 
so fresh upon your minds. But the character of the Report, and the 
way in which the question was put down, have excited the greatest 
surprise, and indeed, it must appear strange to a person who has 
seen nothing but the vast preparation, on the part of Boston ortho- 
doxy, to meet this Report, and support its character, in the face of 
all opposition. But the trembling, and hesitancy of the Committee, 
upon the call for the Report ; — the tameness, and indecision of it, 
when its contents were opened — and, last of all, the unconditional 



124j Q^uestion in Convention, 

submission of the orthodox party in its disgraceful fall, prove, at 
once, that this Report was not the thini; intended, and promised, 
when the Cooimittee was raised to consider, and report upon, the 
question. The great object avowed then, was, a distinct line of de- 
markation between a christian^ and an anti-christian church. The 
grand inquiry then is. What could have diverted the Committee from 
this object? Had the Committee found out that it was a mere party 
question, with which Convention had nothing to do ? If so, would it 
not have been wet! for the Committee to have so declared their con- 
viction, and so to have returned the question back to their constitu- 
ents ? But to bring in, in due form, such a Report, and after a fee- 
ble and timorous attempt to gain acceptance, all its advocates to run 
away, and leave their darling to be kicked about on the floor of Con- 
vention like a reprobate, is passing strange. The question abandon- 
ed thus, must leave the churches, and the public, to surmise and con- 
jecture any thing, the imagination may invent, or create. Upon this 
ground, we are at liberty to show our opinion, and we offer only an 
opinion, we do not vouch for its accuracy, but of our opinion you will 
judge. We have an impression, that had this question, on the char- 
acter of a church of Christ, been discussed and reported upon, before 
the fabrication and settlement of Union Church in Essex Street, the 
Report had been the very thing promised, and there would have been 
the exertion of every nerve, to have carried the measure. The ques- 
tion was placed in the hands of a Committee in May, Union Church 
was instituted in June following: Dr. Woods, who was chairman of 
this Committee, was privy to all the measures taken by Union Church, 
in their gathering and settlement ; he, with some others in his Com- 
mittee, knew very well, that Essex Street Church was outraged in 
all her privileges by the institution and organization of Union 
Church. He knew, also, that Essex Street Church would avail itself 
of every opportunity, by which to protest against the standing and 
character of Union Church. He knew equally well also, that the 
Union Church case could belaid before convention, and that it was a 
very proper ease, to be considered along side of the question, " Jfliat 
constitutes a church of Christ,'^ ^c. It required no deep penetration 
into a speedy coming futurity, to foresee, that this said Union case 
might meet the discussion of the famous question, and be very likely 
to overthrow it. We do not say that this circumstance was agitated 
in the committee, or that it was foreseen by them, only, we say the 
thing is likely, and so the conclusion is natural. Thus far our opin- 
ion. Now, sirs, we will state a fact. — The whole of Union Church 
case was made out, and was in the hands of a member of convention, 
by whom it would have been introduced to that body, and offered, as 



Moral State of Orthodoxy. 125 

a bomment upon, '• What constitutes a church of Christ^^^ Sfc. The 
origin of Union Church — the way in which it was forced into visibil- 
ity — the doings of council when organized — its after creation out of 
the two Boston orthodox churches — the installation of its minister— 
the settlement of the society by Trust Deed, &e. &c. These articles 
would have formed a curious comment upon, " fVhat constitutes a 

church of Christ^^ Now, sirs, this is the way we aeeount for ihe 

inglorious retreat of the committee before convention, and for the de- 
feat of their long promised Report. If these reasons, however, are 
not satisfactory to the orthodox, let them come out boldly and declare 
the whole truth on the subject. But whether these reasons are de- 
clared or not, there is one thing the public knows already, namely, 
the incompetency of Park Street to manage the orthodox churches of 
Massachusetts, and her equal incompetency, to overrule and counter- 
act the growth of sectarianism, schism, and heresy. Churches and 
ministers are exceedingly mortified to think, that Park Street should 
he at such pains and expense, to bring clergymen from the utmost 
boundaries of the State, only to witness the religious imbecility of 
Boston, and expose sacred characters to the smile of their theological 
adversaries and opposers. We earnestly beg our elder sister at Park 
Street, to review her late proceedings, in regard to religion, in general, 
bnt more particularly, iu regard to us as a sister church ; we thinly, 
upon the review, she will not justify all her own measures and con- 
duct, in relation to a poor and afflicted people, who have often sought 
an asylum under her maternal wing. And if she can make out a cas^, 
and will condescend to do it, in which we have gone from the spirit 
and order of the gospel, we shall cheerfully listen, and we hope we 
shall be as ready to make confession and ask forgiveness. But we 
do still think, that at present the standard of morals is too low 
among that people : they talk of evils, and mischiefs, and disorders, 
among professors, being overruled i'or good, we had rather, that they 
would leave God to overrule the wickedness of the wicked, while they 
do the works of righteousness, as it becometh the righteous always to 
do; and then, they need not concern themselves, about consequences. 
This is the straight forward track for all the people of God, but as 
for them that turn aside to crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them 
forth with the workers of iniquity. 

We have only a word to Mr. Green, and his serious friends, and 
then we relinquish our hold of your attention. Mr. G. and his friends 
who came to Essex Street, ought to have known, that they did not 
come to that meeting-house to join, and to build up a church, but to 
make and to constitute one. The people they found at Essex Street 
they should have known, were not a church of Christ, nor entitled to 



126 Postscript, 

any standing in a church : they were only a few undisciplined, and 
disorderly individuals, who having a house in their grasp, had been 
taken up in a disorderly way, and made the occasion of bringing Mr. 
G. and others to Essex Street, in order to raise a new church, to the 
damage of the old one. — We think, sirs, this was calling Mr. G. and 
his friends to a most serious responsibility, a responsibility no less, 
than to gather grapes of thorns, and figs of thistles. How can that 
which is wrong at the root, grow out right in the fruit ? Mr. G. must 
know, that the meeting-house in which he worships, with his people, 
does not belong to them, but that a church and society, acknowledged 
as such, have been driven out and persecuted, in order to make room 
for him, and his people. Mr. G must know, that the people and 
minister, so deprived of their house, are poor and unable, as ytt, to 
furnish another house : and that in consequence of this deprivation, 
the church and people hold precarious existence, but for the ever- 
lasting COVENANT. Mr. G. must know, aIso,thal Essex Street church, 
minister, and congregation, have a serious account, yet, to settle with 
him, and his people ! 

POSTSCRIPT, 

Reviewing the whole of the foregoing, we have to beg of you, sirs, 
and others, who may become our readers, to look strictly, and with 
observant eye, into the facts and circumstances^ which have formed 
the principal subjects of our Memoir. On these we have been parti- 
cular and minute, and for the truth of these, we are ready to vouch. 
As to some points of minor import, such as relate to, rather than such 
as form a part of our history, on these we have spoken to the best of 
our ability and means : but the merit of the whole question lies be- 
tween these two or three simple facts. The disorderly and unright- 
eous measures^ by which trouble was brought into the society. — The dis- 
honourable proceeding and result of Council, February, 1822. — The 
unjustifiable way in which we were diHven from our meeting-house^ 
and prevented from returning to it. — The unecclesiastical method by 
which Union Church was gathered and settled, with the illegal and 
unconstitutional measures by which the meeting-house was delivered 
over to Union Church. — And the withholding of award for services 
performed, sacrifices made, and damage sustained, are the articles, 
which if satisfactorily proved to you, gentlemen, will give us a claim 
upon your sympathy and support, and entitle us, no doubt, to the good 
opinion and patronage, of the enlightened public. To finish our tes- 
timony upon the articles of complaint we must furnish the substance 
of the affidavits taken by some of the pew proprietors, on their pro- 
perty, in Essex Street meeting-house. 



Postscript, 127 

The first deponent says. That he is a pew proprietor in Essex Street 
meeting -house ; that he bought his pew at public auction ; that he paid 
for it, part in cash, part in mechanical work ; that he called upon the 
deacons for a settlement, to receive his deed, and to balance account 
agreeable to the conditions on which he bought the pew ; that the junior 
deacon told the deponent that they had charged him with the pew, and 
had given him credit for the money he had paid and for the account 
he had rendered. The deponent desired the deacon to show him the 
account books, on which the deacon hesitated — after which the deacon 
hrouo-ht them forth and opened them on the table — upon the deponents 
advancing to look at them, the deacon immediately shuffled them up in 
his arms, and in haste carried them out of the room, without suffering 
the deponent to see the account. On the deacon's return the deponent 
requested a title deed of the pew, such a deed as had been given to 
others who had bought at the same time as the deponent had, this re- 
quest the deacon refused at once, but offered a deed under a new organ- 
ization, as he said, of the society — an organization and deed of which 
the deponent says he knew nothing, on which he had never been con- 
suited, nor notified with the pew proprietors to consider and vote up- 
on, neither had he an opportunity to represent his property in any way 
whatever. The deponent farther declares that he never gave any one 
authority to act for him in the business, unless it was in signing a pa- 
per handed to him, by a pew owner, at a moment when closely engaged 
in business, which paper he read very hastily, supposing it to contain a 
proposition, on the part of some pew owners, to adopt a different kind 
of management in the affairs of the meeting-house, which the gentleman^ 
who brought the paper, said was the case, and added " that the proper- 
ty was growing worse and worse, every day, and he thought this plan 
would raise it in its value.^^ With thefe impressions, the deponent 
signed the paper, but never with a view to authorize a number of men, 
to deprive him of the right of representing his own property in legal 
meetings of the pew proprietors. 

Second deponent declares. That he was induced to join the society, 
then small, at the solicitation of a gentleman, whom he did then and 
still does much respect. That he, the deponent, contracted to do cer- 
tain work in the meeting-house then building, or about to be built. — 
He agreed to take for work, two thirds in cash and the remaining in a 
pew or pews ; a pew the deponent acknowledges to have been put in 
possession of, of the value as agreed upon, with the promise of a deed, 
whenever called for : but delaying to call for the deed was frequently 
told by th^ deacons that it ivas ready, of which declaration on the part 
of the deacons he has witness. The deponent at length called on the 
deacon for his deed, but was informed by the deacon that it was not 
quite finished, the deacon said, however, that it would be ready any 
time after the following morning. Still the deponent neglected to call 
fur it, till the deacon urged the deponent to call and take up his deed. 
The deponent accordingly applied, but, to his surprise, ivas refused the 
deed, said to have been ready so long ago, and offered by the deacon a 
new deed, instead of the original one ; this the deponent declined to 
accept. The deponent would have conversed with the senior deacon on 
this matter, but the deacon evaded it, and referred to the junior dea- 
con. The deponent, refusing the new deed, begged to settle his ac- 
count, as some others had done, by selling the deacons back the pew^ 



128 Postscript, 

considering; himself on the same ground, as the said gentlemen were, 
who had resold their pews : to this the deacons could not a^ree us 
they said that they wished to sell, not to buy, and added that the depo- 
nenVs name was signed to a paper, by which he ivas connected with 
the new formed society. The deponent declares, that if his signature, 
to said paper, has deprived him of his right to control, and vote upon, 
his property, he has been very much deceived, and is determined to ap- 
peal to justice. 

Several such depositions might be added, we, however, think them 
not necessary, the above are sufficient to show the truth of our de- 
clarations in the Memoir. And now from what we know of tlie so 
frequently manifested disposition of our opponents, we are led to con- 
sider it probable, that they will demand, by the daily papers, or 
otherwise, a suspension of public opinion, while they promise, or 
threaten a course of proceedings by which to clear themselves from 
the charges brought against them. We, therefore, call upon the 
public to be aware of all such finesse. If our adversaries think they 
are aggrieved, we inform them, of which we wish the community at 
large to be aware, that we are ready at a moment's notice, to meet 
them all, or any part of them, before any lawfully constituted tribu- 
nal in open court, and that without delay. But as to any quibbling 
or evasion or delay, on the part of the accused, so as not to meet the 
broad face of the question, we shall consider such conduct, as an ac- 
knowledgment of the justice of our cause, and in this conclusion, we 
have no doubt but the Christian community will concur. Indeed, much 
of the scrutiny is already past, for our adversaries, with the whole 
community, were challenged, after due notice, if they had aught to 
object, as a reason why we should not be received into the Presbyteri- 
an Church of the United States, but no one appeared, nor had any 
aught to object. So that on the 26th November, 1823, we were, as a 
Congregation, with our pastor, acknowledged and received by the 
Londonderry Presbytery, and organized into their body. Essex Street 
Church is now to be known as The First Presbyterian Church 
IN THE City of Boston. Finally, brethren, pray for us that we may 
walk worthy of our high calling : for we trust that we have a good 
conscience, in all things willing to live honestly : to the end that HE 
may establish our hearts unblameable in holiness before GOD even 
our FATHER, at the coming of our LORD JESUS CHRIST with 
all his saints. 



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